Balthazar's Storm II: Hebrides
by Zoran Prower
Summary: SonicxAmy, TailsxCosmo, KnucklesxRouge. 8 years after Balthazar's Storm, Balthazar has siezed control of the Mobius homeland, planning to exact her revenge on Sonic and co. Sonic and friends must work together, seperated by many miles, to defeat her.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: How long can you run from authority?**

**A/N: Balthazar's Storm II, at last! Note that all characters are a LOT older. In Balthazar's storm I, everyone was 9 years older. Here, everyone is 8 years older than they were in the first book, meaning a total of 17 years. So, Tails is 25, Sonic is 32, Amy 29, Cream 23, Zoran (my OC about 26), etc. Enjoy the story!**

Running… and running… and running… was this not what Tails was always doing when he had adventured with Sonic so many years ago? But this time, he was not running with Sonic… but with his daughter, who he often had to pick up whenever he thought he was in danger.

Tails' daughter, Violet, was 8 years old. Tails had given her the name because the flowers on her head were beautiful violet flowers, which gave off a fresh, delightful aroma. Her skin was yellow-orange, hardly any lighter than his. Though Tails had two tails, to his disbelief, she had three. It probably had something to do with some special gene that likely came from someone or simply mutated, but Tails had not really studied it much.

What really caught his attention, above all else, were her eyes. It was like looking at a star. The pupils, to Tails' disbelief, were not dark, but bright, its hue that of a star's. And though her eyes were a sapphire blue, the blue was dark, and Tails thought that a thin, black circle surrounded it. Her eyes were beautiful, but Tails had often feared they would reveal themselves to the people they were running from. Fortunately, he had avoided detection as much as possible.

Tails was carrying his daughter in his hand, as she slept peacefully in his arms. He was careful; he was both avoiding detection from any of the empress's spies, but he did not want to wake his daughter, no matter what the danger.

He had underestimated the empress; perhaps he should have imprisoned her when the opportunity came, eight years ago. He could not forget the name of the empress; just as much as he could not forget the day he conquered and nearly died from his fear of lightning, and that fear make a lightning imprint on his chest.

Balthazar had claimed rule over Tails' homeland, and she wanted anything moving with any relations to the Prowers dead. Anything with the last name Prower was in even more peril. Thus, he had run, with his daughter, protecting her even over himself, though it was really him and his cousin, Zoran Prower that Balthazar really wanted. _"But for how much longer can I run_?" Tails asked himself.

He had no answer.

(Elsewhere…)

The lioness Balthazar smiled at all the work she had managed to do now. The Mobians offered little resistance. And what could they do against her nearly limitless resources. The only ones who she spared were the ones that kneeled before her, acknowledging her as empress.

The old ruins she had eyes eight years ago was now her fortress, and did not look much like ruins at all. Balthazar had a fortress, had power, had authority, had wealth, but she still had not managed to capture one Prower.

And that was what kept the rebelling Mobians from giving up. For as long as they remained uncaught, they would keep fighting. Balthazar knew she could crush their army, but it would be costly. It would be best to avoid such drastic measures, and make them serve her willingly.

"But where are those darn Prowers?" She said to herself. "I know one is hiding amongst the rebels, thanks to my spy. I shall ask my guard to call him in. Perhaps he has learned more."

She motioned to the guard. "Guard, call in my spy. And if he protests, you have permission to use whatever force to get him into this room." The guard nodded, and obeyed her orders. Balthazar's spy was not a willing one. He only served her because she had something that he valued highly. "Pathetic Mobians, with their loving ways. A true leader leads with fear!" She stated to herself.

The guard brought the spy in. The spy looked at her menacingly. "What do you want from Big?" The spy asked.

"Did you get any information from that plant about the whereabouts of the other Prowers?" She inquired of him. Big shook his head.

"Big, Big, Big…" She drawled off. "You know how your disservice displeases me?"

"I am sorry mistress." Big said, with false sympathy.

"Then do as I command, and get the information. If you find out that she is unable to get any contact from them, and then devise a plan to capture her with the 2nd general. She will make sure it goes smooth. If you cannot do this, Big, I just may try out a course of frog legs. I hear they're quite tasty."

"Froggy!" Big said with worry. Balthazar laughed. Big gave her a pleading look. "Please, mistress, allow me to have Froggy back. Some of the rebels are asking why he's not with me anymore. I cannot keep lying to them!" Balthazar laughed again, before moving forward to him and slapping him across the face.

"Big, you are my servant. That alone is a big betrayal to your friends. A lie shan't hurt them at all." She slapped him again. "Now go. And do not return until you have brought that green plant from the rebel camp right into my own grasp.

Big left her presence and Balthazar sighed and sat on her throne. Her commander, Commander Salazar, a cybernetic lion, who had watched the scene, came up to her. "My empress, my forces are getting closer and closer to getting Miles. I bet he'll probably be out of breadth when we catch him!" The commander looked pleased with himself. Balthazar smiled at his work. She walked toward him, before giving him a seductive smile.

"Commander, if all goes as planned, and you can capture the Prower, then I will personally make you emperor." She drew him forward, meeting his lips with hers. "Now go. There is still much more work to do!" He bowed, respectfully, before leaving the room. Balthazar owed much credit to her commander, and she knew he deserved to be emperor now, but she wanted to wait, to give him something to earn, something that would make him work harder to get the Prowers.

She sat on her throne, and waited for time to pass. That would be all it took, before all challenge to her power seized to exist.

**A/N: Balthazar is pretty cruel, eh? A lot has passed between the stories, and each character will take some time to fill you in a bit. Yeah, I know Salazar's name is very unoriginal, but it sounded dark enough to fit his character.**

**Stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**The rebelling Mobians**

Knuckles watched the young Mobians training in combat with their nano swords. The swords were made especially for training, so that the maximum injury one would receive would be no more than a ache or minor burn.

"Perfect sword strokes." He complimented the soldiers. "But watch your footwork. You do not want the enemy to be able to trip you easily." The young soldiers bowed, before refocusing themselves, and acting on his advice.

The two soldiers finished their training, and Knuckles brought them out of the training grounds, were many others were practicing fighting. Knuckles knew they had plenty of good fighters, but Balthazar simply had the numbers. Guerrilla Warfare was not an easy practice, but it was effective. Balthazar hated it when they ambushed them with small, effective forces. But whenever Balthazar sieged a nearby town, there was nothing for them to do but retreat.

'

There were several others here besides himself. All of his old Chaotix buddies were here, some of them good advisers for him. Cream's mother, Vanilla, was here as well, but Cream was not here herself. She was a Prower, at least when she married Zoran and it was Knuckles that had persuaded the rebel council to tell Cream that she must leave. For Cream, this was like being in exile. But where they not all exiles now?

Cosmo was the only Prower here, but Knuckles did not want to tell them both to leave. Balthazar was careful not to tell her forces to complete annihilate them, because even if they were able, they may accidentally kill her, and that is not what she wanted. But if Cosmo wound up in the enemy's hands, that was very bad, and they would be forced to rescue her, and go into hiding.

For now, they could secretly attack and hide, but hiding had been useless. Somehow, they always knew where they were. Perhaps someone was betraying them, but Knuckles doubted it.

He had wondered where Tails, Violet and Zoran were. He wondered if Sonic watching over Cream, or if the two were in a spot of trouble right now. They have had no communication with one another since this all began about a year ago, or rather two, as for it was two years ago that they first observed Balthazar trying to get power. But they had done nothing, because it was only rumors. They should have acted sooner, but Knuckles figured it would have made little difference.

He felt sorry for Cosmo, being away from her firstborn for an entire year. He knew this was hard on mothers, but he never knew it how hard it really was until now, watching her constantly get depressed.

He decided to see her in her house. The door was always locked, Knuckles trusted no one but the Chaotix to see her and not do anything suspicious. Cosmo was probably growing weary of being visited in her house, but Knuckles did not want her to be seen by anybody, and whenever he did permit her to leave, to go to one of their councils, he made sure she was protected, and wearing armor to protect from laser penetration. Though Balthazar wanted her alive, if she was dead, then the rebel forces would lose their spirit.

He took a key out of his pocket, and unlocked the door. Cosmo was looking out the window, which allowed her to look outside, but for no one else to look in. It was one of Tails' useful inventions for the war, and Knuckles wished that he was here. He could be such an aid in the war effort.

Cosmo smiled when he entered. "Knuckles!" She greeted him. "How are things going?"

Knuckles smiled grimly. "Not well." He answered truthfully. "One of our forces is stuck in a standstill with the enemy. You know what happens when this occurs. A lot of death."

Cosmo looked saddened by this. "How does Balthazar have so much more warriors than we do? From what I've learned, she has at least four times the amount of warriors we do."

The answer was not hard to find. "Fear," Knuckles stated simply. "She employs all the tools of a cold, apathetic leader. And she uses them without regret." He turned away, looking out of the technological window.

"And then there's the fact that her scientists have taken over Tails' lab. That's how they're getting all those nano swords. An army with such technology would easily make a small town surrender. And the ones that resist get crushed." Knuckles sighed. "This a downscale war, Cosmo. It could be several years before we are defeated, perhaps decades, but I don't think we can win in the long run."

"Is there any good news?" Cosmo said, a faint smile forming on her innocent face.

Knuckles smiled back. "The good news is that the scientists have yet to uncover all of Tails inventions and designs. His security system is top of the notch, that's for the sure. You should hear some of the stories of what happened to them when they tried to get access to the Tsunami X-1000, his greatest plane yet (Environment friendly, I might add). The scientist got jolted by electricity!" Cosmo forced a laugh, but then she looked depressed once more.

"Knuckles, this is good and all, but what use is hiding and fighting if we are slowly going to lose?" She asked him.

Knuckles sighed. "I would rather die in battle than any other. I think I'd prefer that to even dieing a natural death." Knuckles gave her a pat on the back. "And trust me, for as long as they don't get the key to get clearance through the security, then we're good."

"The key?" Cosmo asked.

"Yes, the key." Knuckles answered her. "Tails is the key to his own security system. They could take his DNA or blood, but it won't work. They need him or his cousin to get to his greatest inventions, and they have to be alive, but I'm quite sure Zoran will avoid capture. Heck, we don't even know where he is! We at least have an idea where Tails is."

"You know where Tails is?" Cosmo shouted excitedly. "Tell me!"

Such was her excitement that Knuckles had to smile. "Our scouts say that he is nearing a lake that is close the Hebrides sea."

Cosmo gasped. "Knuckles, if he's that close, then if he decided to cross the sea, he'd be close to us, wouldn't he?"

"Golly, you're right, Cosmo." He shouted. "Why didn't I think of that? But how in the world did Tails get all the way on the other side of the continent? He must have traveled far! No wonder why Balthazar is having such a hard time catching him."

"But if he crosses the sea, Knuckles, he'll be in danger!" Cosmo said worriedly. "They'll capture him and my daughter as soon as they see him!"

"Don't worry Cosmo, if he does, we'll find him first." Knuckles reassured her. "After that, he can just stay here. I'm beginning to think that it was a bad idea to separate all of the Prowers. Zoran and Cream were fine; Zoran can turn invisible, and I don't think Balthazar knows that Zoran married Cream yet. With any luck, she'll never will, and if we're even luckier, she'll hardly remember her. That would make her really safe!"

Cosmo smiled. Then she turned to Knuckles. "I have a question, Knuckles." She said, slowly.

"Go ahead and ask." He stated.

"If we do really lose this war, as you say, how do you intend to fight your last battle?" She asked him. Knuckles laughed.

"I intend to fight it here, dieing bravely and honorably, as all my ancestors would have." Knuckles responded.

Cosmo nodded. "I do not think I could look at my death so easily like that." Knuckles laughed.

"Do not worry, Mrs. Prower. If it comes to this, I will make sure you are on a ship that will lead far, far away from here, whether it's across the sea, or across the galaxy."

**A/N: This chapter is not as suspenseful, but I got to get my building blocks to build the suspense on first, you know. And do you remember my statement about the Nature conflict in the first Balthazar's storm. It will reappear here, I shall foreshadow it to you now.**

**The Chaotix is, in this story, portrayed with four members other than Knuckles, and these four shall be introduced later in the story.**

**Next chapter begins to build more tension, and the building blocks for the later, exciting scenes will be laid.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**The enemy has vigilant eyes….**

Sonic knew it would only be a matter of time before Balthazar's forces learned of his location. And he was right. Already he heard men ask people throughout the town of his location. Fortunately, the manager of the motel hated Balthazar's forces, and did not mind keeping Sonic's identity a secret.

He was surprised that not a single one of them had mentioned Cream's name. On the other hand, Balthazar had probably forgotten about Cream and hadn't even thought about learning about her. But if he ever did, the moment he learned she married Zoran, the peril they would be in would quadruple every day.

He had little contact with the Knuckles and the other rebel forces. It was nearly impossible to without risking revealing either one of their locations. He wasn't sure, but perhaps those loyal to Balthazar in the town would report him when they found out he wasn't on the empress's side.

Sonic was not keen to be discovered by the two men inquiring about him in town at all. It would be difficult to move Cream and her two children away from town, but Sonic decided he'd have to plan an escape if it should come around.

Cream's eldest child, Cinnamon looked a lot like Cream, except for the fact that she behaved exactly like her father. Her son, Marius, on the other hand, looked like Zoran but acted like her. The switch of looks and personalities to Sonic was pretty comical.

Even funnier, and both helpful and annoying, was that they inherited Zoran's magical abilities. Zoran was not able to teach them much, due to Balthazar and recent events, but his daughter still knew a few formidable and annoying uses for her magic. Fortunately, neither one of them could turn invisible. Else, they'd always be in trouble.

Sonic partially wished that Amy had gone with him on this mission. She'd know what to do in the situations he didn't, she'd know what to say when Cream's children really began to irritate him. Sonic could find nothing nice to say in those situations. Amy knew how to handle children well. Sonic had a feeling she was probably watching over their son right now… Sonic smiled at the thought, but then his thoughts turned to prior events, like what had happened between him and Cream's daughter.

Today he had gotten in a fight with her. Sonic recalled it briefly…

_Flashback_

"_Why are we still hiding, Sonic?" Cinnamon demanded. Sonic was surprised by her tone. But then, her feet were a bit tired from rushing into the hotel. Sonic had not wanted to linger outside any longer when he saw the suspicious men looking around. Had they seen him running?_

_Fortunately, Cream was safe inside with her son. Cinnamon quickly interrupted his thoughts with some more pouting. "We've been hiding too long, Sonic!" She shouted. "A hotel is nice and everything, but its not my home!"_

"_It will be your home until it is safe to return to your old one." Sonic explained to her. Cinnamon shook her head furiously._

"_No!" She shouted. "Why can't we go home now?"_

"_That's because it's too dangerous!" Sonic shouted. "Cinnamon, they're people that want us killed out there! Maybe you're just too young to understand that." Cinnamon raised an eyebrow, unconvinced._

"_I'm not too young at all, actually!" She shot back. "And if we can't go home now, then how long will it be before we can go back?"_

_Sonic knew there was no accurate answer to that question. It could be years before they could go home. Perhaps they could never go home. "I don't know, Cinnamon. Just be glad that the owner even let's us stay for free."_

"_Why aren't we doing something, then?" She asked, still unconvinced. "Sonic, we could fight so we can have freedom again and not have to hide!"_

"_That's not happening, Cinnamon," Sonic stated to her plainly._

"_My father's probably doing something to stop whoever's after us, right now!" Cinnamon told Sonic. "And we, we do nothing! I can't believe this."_

_Sonic smirked. "Zoran's not doing anything but hiding like a coward, safe with his invisibility."_

"_Liar!" Cinnamon yelled at him angrily. "It's you who is the coward!" She stormed off toward her room. Sonic didn't bother going after her. She'd probably get over it…_

_End Flashback_

She didn't. But now Sonic was wondering if she was right about her father. What if he was doing something to help the rebelling Mobians?

"There's no way he's helping them out." Sonic said to himself. Zoran, after, all, had disappeared for a long period of time before. Yet if he wasn't, where was he?

Sonic's thoughts were interrupted by a maid, who was quickly moving towards him. "Mr. Sonic!" She shouted toward him. "Mr. Sonic, there are men asking for you! They know you're here!"

Sonic quickly ran toward the room. Though there was a hefty bounty on the capture of any Prower (1 million dollars for each one), there was also a bounty of $10,000 on the "blue blur." Besides the price difference between the two, Sonic's bounty was dead or alive. Sonic knew Balthazar wanted the Prowers' alive, but he did not yet know why. He opened the door, startling Cream and her two children.

"We've got to go! Sonic said to them. "Now!"

"Now?" Cream said, bewildered. "What's wrong?"

"Cream, they're men looking for me. And if they find me, and learn who you are…" Sonic trailed off, not wanting to scare her or the children more. Cream, understanding, and also afraid, quickly motioned for her kids to pack up their stuff. With Sonic's help, they were ready in no time. They quickly rushed out the door.

Sonic choose to take the stairs rather than the elevator. The stairs led them closer to the exit. When they finally got down the stairs, Sonic quickly motioned the other three to follow him to the door.

But as soon as he put his hand on the handle, a voice called out to him. "Freeze!" They shouted at him. "Turn around, and then freeze again!"

Sonic lifted his hand off the door, and he, Cream, and her two children turned around, glancing fearfully at the two men's blasters. It was the men who were looking for Sonic.

"Well Bob, it looks like we got our fish." One of the men said smugly.

They were caught, and Sonic feared it was too late to get out of the net.

**A/N: What will happen to Sonic? You'll have to wait and see, we switch to a different character next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Perils in the Forest**

**A/N: Hey everyone. This chapter focuses on Tails and Violet, so you'll have to hold in the suspense from the last chapter. I know, its probably going to grow more and more unbearable…**

"Violet!" Tails shouted to his daughter. "Stay close, will you?"

Violet obediently walked towards her father. "Daddy, I was looking at the flowers." She explained to him. "They're really pretty."

"I bet they were." Tails said, smiling at her, before taking her hand and walking through the forest growth.

How long had they been away from the others? It was his brilliant plan for all the Prowers to separate it. The memory edged into his mind everyday…

_Flashback_

_They had met inside Tails lab. Tails knew Balthazar's forces were marching on the streets, likely knocking down every door that had no reply behind it. He had to enable his security system quickly, else all his inventions would be hers..._

_He knew that she'd be able to bypass a few, but the more valuable items she'd never get. Or at least, he wouldn't let her. But there was another problem, and this was what was taking precious time away._

"_There's no way we're going to make it out that door, or at least not you guys." Zoran said. He turned to Tails. "But you have a runway, don't you?" Tails nodded. "We could use that as an exit."_

_Tails looked around. There was Cosmo next to him, holding his hand firmly, not wanting to let go. Sonic had blood dripping down from his face. Knuckles had deep gashes on his arms, some of which may never heal. Cream was crying in her chair, her head on Zoran's shoulder. Zoran himself had no comforting words for her. What was there to say? Balthazar had killed so many innocent people on the streets you could hardly even understand why._

_Amy had already exited the city safely, bringing Cream's children with her. Sonic had seen to that himself. Tails had no idea where Shadow and Rouge were, nor anyone else he knew. They were on their own. But what about them? His daughter shivered, afraid of the events that had occurred outside. She'd probably not forget today._

_And then a brilliant, and yet terrible plan came to his mind. Balthazar wanted them all, especially anyone that bore the name she hated most: Prower. "Made famous by Zoran," He thought to himself sarcastically. Yet this was not the time to place blame. He turned to Sonic. "If Zoran turns invisible, he can get out of the front door fine." He told him. "The rest of us will have to separate. Sonic, you Cream, and Cosmo can exit the runway. It's the safest way out."_

"_But what about you and Violet?" Cosmo asked worriedly, not wanting to let go. But she must, else they would be in more peril than they already were. _

"_I'll go out my emergency exit with Violet." Tails told her. We'll fly away as soon as we can; they won't be ready when we do." He smiled at his daughter, and that reassured her._

"_Resident, open up!" They heard someone cry. Tails turned to Zoran, and he nodded, going to open the door. Tails knew they wouldn't notice Zoran slip past them when he did._

_He watched Sonic, Cream and Cosmo run out toward the runway. They turned around right before they exited to say goodbye. Tails waved back, before rushing out the emergency exit, holding his daughter's hand. As soon as he saw no one watching, he and his daughter took off, away from the chaos, away from all the dead people around him._

_Tails thought it would be a short time before he managed to find his friends again. But he was being chased; Balthazar had not forgotten the past, and the lightning shaped scar marking that time on his chest did not help either. He could cover it with the darkest of shirts, but when there was lightning and thunder outside, it would glow bright enough to be seen from anyone close by._

_And that was exactly what happened. Two days of stormy weather…_

_End Flashback_

Those two days of stormy weather brought a year's time of being apart from his friends and his wife. He'd try to find them any day if he could. But Tails had traveled so far away he didn't eve know where he was anymore.

And the sounds he heard close by didn't help at all. He didn't have to look toward the source of the sound to know who was making it. After all, only Balthazar's men made such noises with their boots.

He looked at his daughter, and saw that she was exhausted from all the running that she had done when they had first entered the forest to escape the men who were following him. Tails picked her up in his arms, before running through the growth.

Tails figured he had made too much fuss, the sound seemed to come closer and closer to him. "I hear it, I do hear it!" One of the men cried. "Do you reckon its someone that Balthazar is after? Or is it just some wild animal?"

"If it's a wild animal, I'm killing it!" The other person shouted, a woman from her voice. "Besides, what is the chances of finding any of the Prowers or their friends here? Even the one we've been tailing wouldn't hide in such a place as this. The trees aren't thick enough to hide anything, and there's not much to eat."

Her last comment did nothing to appease to Tails, as for it reminded him of his hunger. He always prioritized his daughter over himself, and thus, Tails had hardly ate anything for the last three days.

The sound was too close now. Tails took a wild turn to lose them, and then found himself near a ledge. He lowered his daughter, taking her hand after she got on her feet, and looked down toward the depths.

He analyzed the situation. Jumping down the waterfall seemed like committing suicide, but was it better than being caught? Tails knew that if he landed in the water just right, avoiding any rocks, they could live. But if he didn't jump, Tails knew he would be overcame and then either captured or killed by his pursuers.

"Violet?"

"Yes, Dad?" His daughter replied, with no fear in her voice. What was there to fear? They had faced dangers like this all the time now. There was nothing to fear anymore. Not even death.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I do." She said.

"On three, we're going to jump down the waterfall. Do you understand? We're going to jump down the waterfall." Violet nodded her head, and she closed her eyes.

"1…" The sounds came closer.

"2…" Tails hesitated for a moment. Was this the right choice? But it was too late for regrets.

"3." Holding his daughter's hand, they jumped down the waterfall. Tails closed his eyes along with his daughter's. When he opened them, he knew there would be only two places where he could be. But at least both led to safety…

**A/N: We'll find out if they lived or not later. They've survived a lot of things, but a huge fall is not one of them. **

**Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**You're dead, I'm not**

**A/N: Thanks guy for reading and reviewing this story. Here's chapter number 4. After this chapter is Interlude 1, and then it will be chapter 6 again. You'll get the order of things once we get to Interlude 2.**

The room was silent. A single circular table was in it, and on the chairs sat Balthazar's marshals, not a high rank in her field, but high enough to be in charge of the capture of each and every Prower. This included their friends.

The observer was quiet as the men spoke. They did not notice him because he wanted it to be so. Besides, they were too caught up in their talks anyway. He did not participate; he merely sat in his chair quietly…

"Marshall Rogan, how goes your position?" One of them spoke. The one addressing the Marshall was the only general in the room.

"Not so good," He replied modestly. "You know that that my squad of men is having a difficult time capturing the kitsune."

"Would you like to repeat that to Commander Salazar?" The marshall jumped as a holo of Salazar appeared in the middle of the table. It was odd to see your commander materialize in front of you, odder when that commander's body was one-half robotic.

"General, you shouldn't be so cruel to your marshals… after all, that is my job." Salazar seemed to take in pleasure in the fear of the room. The observer did not share the fear that the other marshals did, rather, he was disgusted by him.

"Marshall Rogan, you have the easiest job." Commander Salazar's voice was filled with discontent. Marshall Rogan face grew paler every second. "The fox and his daughter are completely unarmed! Unless you'd rather attempt to capture his wife and face the entire wrath of the rebels, I'd try to do a better job…." The Marshall nodded fearfully.

"Marshall Leone, how goes your position? Have you established a strong force to use against the rebels?" Marshall Leone nodded, a smile on his face.

"Not just a strong force, commander, but a highly effective one. It shan't be long before we've lured the rebels into battles. They won't ignore the pleads of their pitiful allies." The commander smiled at Leone's work, before turning to the next Marshall.

"Marshall Xenon, have you captured the blue hedgehog yet? You know how difficult it will be to defeat the rebels while he is still around." Marshall Xenon grinned sinisterly.

"Commander, I have captured the hedgehog, his companion, and her family. My men who have found them are taking them here now."

The observer lifted his ear at the mention of "the hedgehog." Surely Sonic had not been foolish to get caught? He had expected him to be a bit harder to get than that. But who was he traveling with? He sighed, but quickly grew silent as a head turned toward him. But then they ignored him, and the observer nearly uttered another sigh of relief.

"And the new Marshall, Marshall…"

"Marshall Aram, sire." Aram answered him. "Commander, just as I told you a month ago, I have been unable to find any trace of the relative of Miles that Balthazar spoke of. Commander, I assure you, he is probably dead."

Commander Salazar shook his head. "No, he is in hiding, and he probably won't be found." He glared at him. "Aram, I have heard of someone resisting our rule here. Some night time hero over there."

Aram nodded. "Sir, he has been a thorn to my side."

"Get rid of that thorn, Aram. The hero is messing with our plans, eliminate him." Aram gulped fearfully. "If I don't see results soon, Aram…"

"Sir, I will not fail you! I will personally kill him myself!" Commander Salazar laughed, and Aram lost his confidence, fearfully shaking in his chair.

"All of you, capture every single Prower you possibly can. Marshall Leone, you shall have a force of a 100,000 to aid you in three days time. If Aram and Rogan fail to capture their Prower, it will be best for your interests to not fail yourself." Leone shivered, and the holo dematerialized.

The general recovered from his fear once the Commander left. "Men, you know what to do. Capture the enemies hope, and they have—"

"Nothing." Aram finished for him. "But, general, my target is impossible to find, and you know it!" The general laughed, which angered Aram. "For all I know, he doesn't exist!"

"Yet he does," The observer finally spoke. The men turned toward him. The general glared at him.

"Speak, sir!" The general ordered him.

"Then be quiet." The observer replied testily. The general was taken aback, and the observer seized the opportunity. "He's alive, and he's closer than you think."

"What are you…" Then the light inside the room went out. When it flickered on, a figure appeared on top of the table, two swords drawn. The marshals were taken aback. On the table stood a fox, a grey fox. This was the night time hero they all feared, but more importantly…

This was the observer. This was the relative of Miles, named Zoran Prower.

The general laughed, and the Marshalls all drew up their nano swords. "You think that old metal will even stand a chance against these ultimate nano ones?"

"Let's find out." Zoran replied. The light went out, but the nano swords glow still revealed his figure. The Marshalls struck wildly and fearfully, but each fell only a few seconds after engaging battle with Zoran. In about fifteen seconds, only the general was left.

He charged at him, but Zoran easily blocked his blow, took his sword, and killed him with the general's own weapon. However, he did not take the nano swords. After all, his own swords were magical. Magic could take on technology any day.

He searched Marshall Xenon's corpse, looking for any more information on Sonic's whereabouts. Zoran knew he had to save him. If he got to Balthazar's fortress… but that would not happen.

He looked around. None of the officials here were the only ones after the Prowers. Balthazar had many, far more reliable than these men.

He sighed, before running toward whatever had Sonic.

But he had forgotten to check to see if they were all dead. Two Marshall's, Marshall Leone and Aram stirred. Marshall Leone got up, and looking pitilessly at the struggling Aram, he picked up his nano sword, and got ready to end Aram's life. Aram screamed at his treachery, but Leone did not care about Aram. Aram died before he hit the ground. To Leone, Aram was not suitable to serve Balthazar. He laughed. "Now you're dead, and I'm not…"

He signaled the commander. When the holo appeared, there was no fear in Leone's face this time. "Commander, I have found the relative of Miles. He will be in our hands by sundown.

**A/N: Wow, some cold stuff in this chapter. Well Leone is not a nice man. You shall see more of his cruel ways….**


	6. Interlude I

**Interlude I**

**I fear not death**

**A/N: I'll be honest, I'm having a hard time thinking of ways to enter my remaining characters. The ones before all had big parts, but the ones that remain still have significant impacts on the storyline.**

Amy Rose never thought that her career would become this difficult. She thought that she had saw more dead in the past year than she had seen her entire medical career. It made her afraid, thinking of all the people that had died courageously on the battlefield. But it brought her more pain when she was unable to save one that had survived.

In charge of the entire medical group, she would help any of the doctors or nurses who needed it. Truth was, they had far less doctors and nurses than Amy needed.

Yet Knuckle's visit that morning had done nothing to make her more cheery. Rather, it brought even a sadder feeling into her heart.

"Knuckles, you realize that if you go out there with the troops you intend to collect, you'll all die!" She said to him. "Didn't you hear the report the scouts brought in. Balthazar has hundreds of thousands of troops, maybe million. We're lucky to have sixty thousand rebels all together, soldier and non-soldier."

"I realize that, and I decided to make this a non-mandatory battle for them. I have informed all my troops that they shall not return."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked fearfully.

"If we're going to want even the slimmest chance of defeating Balthazar, this is the only way. We have to fight to the last of us."

"But Knuckles, surely you can't be looking forward to dieing."

Knuckles laughed. "I've always wanted to die in battle. It's glorious to die that way, to die honorably and to be remembered for it. Besides, I fear not death, for our strength is eternal."

Knuckles walked out of the room, leaving a distressed and sad Amy. "No wonder why my son admires him so much…" It was hard to be a mother, harder to practice in the medical realm of knowledge, but even harder to watch a friend tell you that they plan to die fighting.

Balthazar listened attentively to the report of her scientists. She was quite disappointed by their antics and their poor knowledge of by passing the security in the fox's lab.

"Well, speak." She said to her scientists, shivering in fear of her. She liked it best when her own people were afraid of her. But in truth, they had far less to fear than the rebels did when her soldiers began their offensive.

"My empress, we've had no more success than we've had weeks ago. The fox's security is impossible to bypass with even the best and latest of technology."

"Well, could you destroy it?" Balthazar asked them, and the scientists shook their head.

"No, one of us has already tried. He's in the hospital right now, got quite the electric shock. Not enough to kill or paralyze, but enough to cause a lot of pain." Balthazar knew it would be difficult, but not his difficult. The fox must have really wanted to protect his stuff. In order to get access to his greatest of inventions, they would certainly need the fox.

But for the slightly lesser ones, she knew that she would only need any one of Prower blood or who had married one. Her scientists had at least learned at least that a few weeks ago. But they had not learned anything new. Were they not so useful to her, she would have killed them on the spot.

"I'm disappointed in your progress, but I understand your difficulties." Balthazar said unsympathetically. "Is there anything you've been able to gain access to." They shook her heads, and Balthazar frowned, and the scientists shivered in even more fear.

"If you cannot get his technology, then make some of your own." Balthazar instructed them. "I do not like useless handicapped soldiers, make as much cybernetic parts as you can. If it is impossible to put any soldier back in action, kill them. My army is not for the week." Her scientists bowed, shaking uncontrollably.

"Yes, empress, it shall be as you command." They rushed out of the room, glad to be away from her.

Balthazar laughed. She then heard her transmission receiver flash green. "Incoming transmission.." It told her.

In front of her eyes, a holo of Salazar appeared in front of her. "Empress, I have good and bad news for you. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Whichever occurred first, Salazar." She directed him.

"That would be the bad news." Salazar said solemnly. "Our marshalls and our general of Epsilon squadron have all been murdered. It appears as if they were attacked by what they've called the "Dark Hero."

Balthazar waved her hand, uncaring of their fate. "They deserved what they got. They did not serve me as well as they could." Salazar laughed.

"Ah, but one of them did." Salazar informed her. "This is where the good news is."

Balthazar smiled. "Well then, my sweet, tell me what that is."

"Marshall Leone survived the attack, and not only that, but he discovered the identity of the "Dark Hero." I assure you, my empress, you'll be highly interested in the details…"

As Salazar informed of her of the events, her smile grew wider and wider. "Excellent, Salazar. Tell Marshall Leone that he has been promoted to general of the Epsilon Squadron, and future performances of the like will result in greater rewards…" Salazar nodded. "Commander Salazar, if your data is correct, then he is going after our two captives. I care not for the hedgehog's companion, she is probably just some girl who's following him for her own reasons."

Salazar nodded. "Empress, it will be difficult to hold them both in capture." He informed her. "But I assure you, I shall come back with at least one of them."

Balthazar nodded. "I'd prefer the Prower, but if you can get the hedgehog, that will almost be just as good."

Salazar bowed. "I shall send proper instructions to Leone, empress." The holo faded, and Balthazar smiled. It was only a matter of time before she would have access to more of Tails' technology. Only a matter of time.

**A/N: Will Zoran survive the attack at sundown? Keep reading to find out, of course.**

**There is Dramatic Irony here too. Balthazar does not know that Sonic's companion is Cream. But even if she did, what is even more ironic is that she does not know she married Zoran, making her a Prower…**

**Ignorance has played both friend and foe to the rebels. But nevertheless, as Knuckles said, they are slowly losing…**


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Lost in darkness…**

**A/N: There are only two sides in war, or so some say Yet that is not correct, there is always another side… and sometimes even more than that…**

**But it is a fact that there is always one side who gets the best out of victory, and the worst out of defeat… **

**Oh… sorry for the late update.**

Sonic never thought he would be unable to run away. But as their captors rode in the hover van, with Sonic, Cream, and her children all tied up very tightly to the sides, he knew that they had him good this time. Sonic laughed silently to himself. He knew the hovering capabilities of a vehicle was experimented and invented by Tails. He'd never imagined a day when all of Tails' technology would be used against them. But for as long as they could not get access to the best of his technologies, Balthazar's victory would be far from grasp, but still certain.

But what if they could get their hands on it? The thought lingered on Sonic's mind. Getting into Balthazar's citadel was one thing, but getting their hands on Tails' stuff was another. Sonic knew they could not get his most powerful inventions without having Tails with him. But having Tails with them also put every one of them into critical danger as well… but would the risk be worth it? Would it be worth gaining victory at the risk of losing every single rebel life? It was the only way to win, but it was something that Sonic thought as far worse than a desperate last resort. It was almost as if you were putting your life into the hands of a fool.

Cinnamon was lying her head on her mother's shoulder, .looking at Sonic pitifully. "I'm sorry, Sonic." She said to him. "This is all my fault."

Sonic shook his head sadly. "If it's anyone's fault, it is mine. We should have left sooner."

"Hey, quiet back there!" One of their captors said to them.

"Um, Danny, there's something out there." The other captor said.

"What are you talking about, I don't see anything." The captor Danny replied.

"What, they were just there…" Suddenly, they heard a thump on the car.

"What the…" The two men stepped out of the car.

Ignorance played them fools. Out of nowhere, the captor Danny was hit from a rock hard fist, knocking him unconscious. The other captor took out his gun, and pointed it everywhere fearfully. Everywhere but above that is. He didn't look up in time to see a kick aimed right at his face. He fell unconscious.

Zoran, as the reader probably has probably guessed his name already, quickly went to the other side and opened the door, still invisible as an extra precaution. To Sonic and Cream, this looked bizarre.

"Quickly!" He called to the bewildered figures in the van. "There are people following me, they're not as slick as they think they are, but they're still cunning. They're right on my tail, we've got to get moving!"

Sonic thought an angel was speaking to him. But Cream would have known the voice from anywhere. "Zoran?" She said. Zoran looked around carefully, before undoing the invisibility while he cut the strings tying his family up. Cream got out and hugged him, before he preceded to untying Sonic.

While he was untying Sonic, they heard voices. "We've got him good, there's no way he's escaping!" A voice cried.

Sonic knew they all wouldn't get out. "Zoran, you Cream, and your kids can all get out of here as soon as you finish untying me. I'll distract them, buy you guys time."

"Sonic, no!" Cream cried, but Sonic would have none of it. Not now.

"Cream, it's the only way. Plus, they know Zoran's a Prower, he's valuable to them."

"But they don't know Cream's a Prower…" Zoran said, and Sonic looked up at him curiously as Zoran cut the last bit of string.

"Really?" Sonic said. Zoran smiled.

"That's the good news." Zoran sighed as the last piece of string fell to the ground. "You know what you're getting into, right?"

Sonic smiled. "What I've always got myself into: A battle against evil!"

Zoran smiled, before gesturing toward his family. "Come on guys, this way! We've got to get out of here!"

"But what about Sonic?" Cinnamon asked her parents.

"Sonic's doing hero work, Cinnamon." Zoran explained. "He has his reasons for what he's doing, but there's no time to explain now." Cinnamon gave Sonic one last look, before retreating with her family into the nearby forest. Before they could figure out where they'd gone, Sonic quickly averted all of the enemie's eyes to him.

"Come on, you cowards!" Sonic said. "Aren't you going to try to catch me?"

Sonic raced past them, but he knew that would not be enough. Balthazar had longed readied her soldiers against an encounter with him. One of her soldiers fired his gun before Sonic could even make it.

Sonic looked at the shot. It was not a bullet, it was a dart. This dart, Sonic knew would temporarily black him out…

Before Sonic passed out, he already knew where he'd wake up, and that was in the dungeon of Balthazar, far closer to the enemy than he'd like to be.

But better him than Zoran or Cream…

**A/N: Good old Sonic, playing hero. I'm afraid to say that Sonic will certainly not like his new home…**

**Next chapter we return to Tails and his daughter, who are still running from Balthazar's forces.**


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**The Return of the Prince**

**A/N: This chapter is an interesting one and a bit sad on parts, too…**

Tails was shivering cold in the forest. His daughter was holding on to him for warmth. They were both enshrouded in a blanket, but they were still cold from the long fall down from the waterfall. Tails was glad that he had not miscalculated, or the force of the fall would have been a lot more painful, but the pain could have only been so much before he would have felt nothing, which would have told him he was dead…

But Tails was thankful that it was not the case. His daughter shivered next to him, and he held her tighter, not wanting her heart to literally stop cold. He stared at the night sky, counting the number of stars that decorated the cosmos.

Tails had lost all sense of direction. But he was safe, that was all that mattered. Tails thought of everyone who was near Balthazar's land, which was once Tails' home. A tear flowed down his eye at the thought. She had taken away everything, just for power, for control, and for revenge. All things that a heartless person possesses.

That night, sleep did not come easy for either of them. The night's winds only seemed to make them colder, and even with the extra aid of their fur, Tails thought he would freeze. Violet had her head gently on his shoulder; Tails stroke it with his hand. She felt a lot warmer than he did. Tails suspected this to be largely due to her half Seedrian blood; plants after all, can take the cold better than a mere fox. Tails nearly laughed at the thought. His half-alien daughter was always an interesting thing to gaze at.

He closed his eyes slowly, and when he finally fell asleep, he dreamed of his wife, and the peaceful times they enjoyed before Balthazar's rise to power…

Tails wanted so much to stay asleep, but the rise of the sun told him it was time to wake. His daughter was already awake, looking at the sunset. She seemed so sad, but she followed her father as he began their journey.

Tails did not know where he was anymore. He had long wanted to be lost and free from Balthazar's grip, but not literally lost. He was concentrating on how to get through the forest when he heard his daughter's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Dad, are we ever going to go home?" She asked him. Tails was surprised she had not asked the question sooner. For an entire year, she had not once questioned his destination. Yet he had no answer to her question. For one, at the moment, home wasn't really home anymore. Not with Balthazar ruling the place.

"One day. One day we will." Tails replied. One day was the best he could hope for. Never was what he expected.

They had traveled quite a ways from the waterfall when Tails picked up a sound with his ear, and he quickly motioned for his daughter to follow him behind a tree.

"Step away from your hiding spot, and come out with your hands up, and we won't shoot!" Someone shouted.

Tails fearfully stood up, and closed his eyes, walking toward the source of the sound. His daughter followed him, her hands above her head along with his.

He opened them to see two foxes, one with white fur, the other with green, and each holding a bow. Tails had not seen such old weapons for a long time. In fact, never in his memory had he ever saw one. But he did, he just didn't remember it.

Surprisingly, the two men lowered their bow, and to Tails shock, they bowed to him. "You are the son of the great nine-tailed kitsune. You are alive!" They exclaimed. They quickly rose from their positions, and each hugged him in turn.

Tails' daughter was as confused as he. But Zoran's words flowed back in his mind. "The Prowers are of nobility, but it is you, my friend, who is the official heir to the throne."

Tails' people were in this forest. They too, must have left his home world. But why?

"Follow, Prince Miles. We shall lead you to your lady cousin. She will be amazed to see you, I bet." They smiled encouragingly to him and his daughter.

Although surprised by this sudden event, for the first time in a long time, Tails felt safe.

**A/N: Aye, Tails has found his people, who have left their home world, just as Zoran has, to return to the world their ancestors lived.**

**But we cannot focus on this. A War after all, is being waged…**


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**What do we do now?**

**A/N: We return to the devastated Zoran and Cream, who Sonic had managed to save by using himself as a distraction. Brave lad, that Sonic.**

There was utter silence that night. There was no word to describe the quietness after Sonic had been captured. Even the joy they felt from Zoran's return had diminished, as if a flame had burnt out. Zoran had tried to comfort his daughter, but Cinnamon felt so sad, it almost felt as if Zoran was looking at a ghostly figure of her.

When they finally stopped walking, and sat down around a small campfire in a forest, Zoran watched as his daughter was still wiping her tears away from her face, crying silently. His son seemed ashamed, and Cream wouldn't look at anyone.

Zoran had seen Sonic fall to the ground after he had gotten shot. He had told his family that he probably in Balthazar's hands, which would certainly end in his demise. He had been honest, but he had brought sadness with it.

But he couldn't help feeling ashamed himself. For their own safety, they had sacrificed Sonic's life. At least they were safe, and Zoran knew they'd probably never be found again.

But how long would they be hiding for? Zoran thought of this future. He'd constantly running, trying to protect his family. In turn however, they'd never live a normal life.

Zoran stood up, and the rest of his family looked up at him. After all, it always seemed to him that a family looks to its leader, and they had long ago established him as that leader.

"Cream, Cinnamon, Marius…" He began. He took a breath. "This forest will be a nice play for us to stay temporarily. It will be weeks, perhaps months before Balthazar thinks of searching of such a place, and longer before she finds any hint of us here. After all, she always thinks you'll be near civilization. But I will not stay with you."

"What?" Cinnamon asked her father, shocked at his statement. Cream looked up, startled as well.

"Sonic risked his life to save us, now I'm going to find him, and when I'm done, I'm going to rip out that lioness's heart, even if I die trying. I'll have liberty, or I'll just as easily take death."

"Let us go with you." Cinnamon asked him. Zoran didn't want any of them to come; did they not understand that he wanted them safe? He could not live with himself should one of them die.

"Dad, I'm not going to hide anymore." Cinnamon said to him defiantly. "I'm not going to be a coward."

"Cinnamon, you're not a coward at all…." Zoran began, but Cinnamon interrupted him.

"Then I'm going out there to fight with you." Zoran could not help but feel proud at his daughter's bravery. She was nearly 8 years old, and she was just like him at that age, unafraid of death. Though Zoran remembered that he had faced death and killed when he was even younger… though he always wish he hadn't…

Zoran turned to the other two. "You two better be careful." Cream said to them. "Me and Marius will make our way back to the rebel camp. We'll be fine, but you'd better make it back in one piece, Zoran."

She squeezed him tightly, Zoran felt as if that one hugged summed up all the ones she had miss now and the ones she wouldn't get later. She did the same to Cinnamon, with tears going down her eyes.

"Mother, I'd like to go, too." Marius piped up. Cream shook her head.

"Oh not you too, Marius…" She said.

"Let him come along, love." Zoran told her. "Perhaps this is their time to be heroes." Cream smiled before squeezing all three of them.

"I'll tell Amy what you guys have planned, she'll be devastated that Sonic's captured, but maybe she can organize with Knuckles some attack that will help you guys."

"How are you going to get there?" Zoran asked her.

Cream smiled, and showed Zoran a ring on her finger. (Not her marriage ring, mind you.) "This ring will teleport me right back to the encampment. It was one of Tails inventions, Knuckles had some scientists change it so it would bring me there. I haven't used it in fear its been captured or they've moved, but I've got to hope things aren't that bad."

"Then good luck to us all then." Zoran told her, before she gave him one last hug, along with a kiss, before she held the ring in the air, and then disappeared.

Zoran turned to his two children. "You know, being a hero isn't as easy as it seems…"

"Oh, shut up, Dad." Cinnamon said to him amusingly. "It's not like we haven't faced danger before."

**A/N: Young kids going to face danger? They must be pretty stubborn, smart, and strong if they've managed to convince Zoran. Stay tuned!**

**Yeah… I'll update sooner this time… **


	10. Interlude II

**Interlude II**

**Death is our Dawn…**

**A/N: In this Interlude, we see a brave, smarter Knuckles and a heartless Big. Time changes everything…**

Knuckles looked at all of his loyal troops, who had come despite Knuckle's warning to them that they would all be captured or be killed, most likely killed. Better killed then be captured and then killed. Knuckles had heard too many stories on how the terrifying lioness treated her prisoners…. To the prisoners, it was perhaps like traveling into the underworld of Dante's Divine Comedy, but not ever leaving it….

Knuckles looked sadly at each and every one of soldiers. There was Vector, who in all these years, seemed to have lost his purpose. He only remembered too well Vector's story on how he was asked to serve Balthazar to help accuse innocents of false crimes. Balthazar would have certainly not accepted the no Vector wanted to give. So, he and his fellow detectives simply left, though not without being followed. Knuckles had helped them escape their followers.

Since then, he had been quieter, more serious, and almost never talked about money. After all, he had declined Balthazar's very high paying job. That was unlike him, no matter what the task. But it made him a better person. For that, Knuckles had made him his captain, and he had done his job well.

Next to him stood Espio, who was still the quietest and most serious of the group. But when he did speak, everyone listened. Espio, after all, was rarely off with his judgment. Knuckles knew he had some lover; he could not recall the name, but he knew Espio did not tell her she would not return.

The thought made him think of his own beloved, and he had forced himself to forget. After all, she was supposed to have returned a month ago. Knuckles knew he should have never sent her to scout…

Knuckles noticed Charmy flying around crazily and happily. Nope. Nothing had changed the bee, not even war. In fact, were it not for Vector's leadership, Knuckles had a good feeling he would have joined Balthazar. But Charmy was a good sharpshooter, and Knuckles was glad he did not.

Knuckles noticed the Armadillo too, the other member of the Chaotix group. He had met him once, but hadn't bothered to ask his name, mostly not to embarrass the fact that he had forgotten the name. (A/N: Or perhaps the Author simply cannot recall it at the moment.)

"My comrades, my courageous comrades…" Knuckles began, and there was pride in his voice, for each cat, dog, reptile, lizard, insect; for every animal that had decided to walk toward death to help achieve a better world. A world they would not see to exist.

"Tomorrow morning, we march towards our tomb." Knuckles told them. "But as we do so, we shall dig so many other tombs for the enemy, and eventually our work will eventually help dig the grave of that terrible witch, Balthazar. That lioness that took our homes, killed our brothers and sisters, our mothers, our fathers, our friends, our lovers…."

For a moment, Knuckles thought he would scream in rage, but he eventually regained his composure. "Tommorow, Balthazar will taste fear that she has never tasted before. Tomorrow, she will taste the blood of her soldiers, of their agony. Tomorrow, Balthazar will tremble, even when we are all flying up their in heaven. Because we all know where she's going when she dies…"

"Live the Republic!" Knuckles screamed, and so many other roars came. There was even a _Vive le' Republica_ amongst the group. Knuckles felt so much pride…

Then he turned, and noticed Amy running toward him. She better not have come to tell him not to undertake this suicide mission of his…

"Knuckles, Knuckles!" She shouted. "Cream's here!"

Big, Balthazar's spy watched Cream from the room. He had been the first to see her, and that had finally lifted his hopes.

He was also Knuckle's spy, however, but he had long lied to the red echidna. He valued his Froggy's life far more than his friends… Without Froggy, he was nothing.

Big had vowed to love nothing but his frog. Balthazar was a cruel mistress, and he feared her, but did not hate her, as for she paid well, and she had made him apprentice, watched for his safety while his friends forgot about him. And she had his frog. He had lost the frog when he failed to capture Cosmo. But if he captured Cream, he knew Balthazar would let him have Froggy back, even if he didn't manage to get Cosmo as well. He also knew she would never eat Froggy, despite her threat. She hated frog legs.

"Where is she?" He heard Knuckles ask.

"She's in here!" Amy said excitedly. "She has news for us."

News. If he only brought that with him, it would get him his pay, but not his Froggy…

He studied the rabbit. She would be easy to overpower. She was weak, and her innocence would be quite fun to break. He hated her, because she still believed all things were good. The fool, the terribly weak fool…

If only Balthazar had given him a larger group to work with… She had only given him two companions for him to serve, both panthers, and though they were clever, but they were weak, yet at least useful. The nice thing was, she gave him permission to discipline them using whatever methods necessary, and Big particularly used this to his advantage when he was punished by Balthazar.

Both panthers were scouting the place, helping Big help Balthazar plan her massive and likely final, attack. The rebels were foolish, too trusting. No matter how long they prolonged it, their final battle would be their quickest…

Big listened in to Amy and Knuckle's conversation, trying to see if he could pick up anything useful.

"Amy, Knuckles!" he heard Cream shout. "It's so good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Cream." Amy said pleasantly. "But what are you doing here? Where's Sonic?"

"That's why I'm here." Cream said to her solemnly. "Balthazar captured him."

"WHAT?" Amy's cry amused Big. The blue blur finally in Balthazar's hands… This might quicken the rebels fall immensely…

The grown Cream had tears pouring out of her eyes. She was weak and pathetic, crying over something that was bound to happen anyway. Balthazar would be interested to know that Cream was here… He planned in his head to call her later that evening.

"Well, we were followed by some men, and they managed to find and capture us." Cream began. "Balthazar wants him dead or alive, Amy; I'm surprised they didn't kill him then. I'm surprised they didn't kill me or the children…" Cream trailed off.

"But if you used your ring to escape, wouldn't they know?" Amy asked her. Cream shook her head.

"I would never leave my children in such a position of danger, Amy." Cream replied. We were rescued by Zoran, Amy! He knew where we were and saved us, but he was being followed. Sonic helped distract his trackers so we could escape."

Big smirked. Sonic was brave, but he was foolish. Balthazar would not keep him alive for long, perhaps toy with him for a while, but she would eventually end his life.

He was surprised that they hadn't killed both of them, but Big figured the trackers had too much heart to kill children. Big had done the act before with no hesitation. It was even enjoyable to him…

"Zoran?" Amy asked. Cream nodded. "So, what happened afterwards?"

"Well…" Cream began. "Zoran decided to go and find some way to stop Balthazar from the inside, and our kids decided to go with him." Our kids? Big was confused. But then the obvious answer came…

"That's nice to hear." Knuckles said at last. "If only we could give him a com-link…"

"That's nice to hear?" Amy said incredulously. "Cream, your kids are young!"

"But they are bold." Cream replied, and there was a smile behind all those tears. "I couldn't stop them if I wanted too."

Amy smiled back at her, and Big nearly laughed. When Balthazar got a hold of all this info… they would have wished they never spoke a word…

Knuckles d his arms crossed, giving the relatively young rabbit a rare smile. "So we have our own secret fighting force." Knuckles spoke. "Perhaps this might change things…"

It most certainly would. Or at least, Big knew, it would for him. It would not be long now, before his revenge on Zoran could be enacted without interference…

**A/N: Yeah… Evil Big. Weird, isn't it?**


	11. Chapter 8

**Shadows in the Cell**

**A/N: There goes my pattern of 4 Chapters and then an Interlude. Oh well. Expect five chapters before the next Interlude**

**The Title of this chapter is more of a pun than anything else. **

Sonic awoke in some sort of dungeon. He was in Balthazar's castle, he was sure of it. The first thing he did was look around his surroundings. The room was dark, and all he could see were shadows played by tricks of light.

"So… you're awake." A voice said. Sonic turned around .One of the shadows was not a shadow at all. It was Shadow, Sonic's old rival.

"How'd you get in here?" Sonic asked him.

"I tried to attack Balthazar solo." Shadow simply replied. "Didn't work." He mumbled something else under his breath, but Sonic couldn't hear what it was. "And you?"

"I got captured while I was protecting Cream." Sonic replied.

Shadow muttered another few words under his breath. "Did Rouge get captured too?" Sonic asked. Shadow gave him an odd look.

"No, but she can't leave the city either." Shadow informed him. "She got here seven weeks ago, or at least that's when I last saw her. They tried to get her, but she's hiding out in the sewers, hoping that something happens so she can return."

Sonic nodded. Shadow looked at him with another unreadable expression, perhaps masking pity and a bit of frustration. "You know that you are in a far more perilous position than I am at the moment." Sonic turned his head.

"Better than Cream." Sonic informed him. "If not for Zoran, she'd be here too."

"You've seen Zoran?" Shadow asked him. Sonic remembered the last time the three had worked together, when the three got themselves in a spot of trouble with the government. It was quite amusing to recall. Sonic had a feeling Shadow was remembering things about him too. "I've heard nothing about him for a long time."

"Me neither. It was quite our fortune to come across him." Sonic told him. "He saved us just in the nick of time. I guess I just wasn't meant to come out of it saved."

Shadow looked back at him, with one of his unreadable expressions. "That is the case, it seems…" He answered, his eyes seemingly wandering over the complex.

The gate suddenly opened, and two guards appeared on the opposite side of it. "Come with us." They said, motioning with Sonic. Sonic had no choice but to follow."

Sonic was surprised when they had not tied him up after he had left his cell. "Oh, there's no where to run in here, hedgehog." They said to him, as Sonic thought of a possibility of escape. "If you try to escape, you'll likely get yourself killed before we even get a hand on you!"

They started laughing coldly as Sonic unwillingly followed them. He knew they were taking him to Balthazar. He did not know, however, if he would return. Perhaps it would be better to make a break for it?

He came into the throne room sooner than he had thought, and Sonic quickly observed the place. Balthazar herself sat on her throne, looking pleased at the mouse she had caught. Next to her stood Commander Salazar, also looking pleased at the bait, a sinister smile forming on his face. In the room, tons of guards were all over the place, and Sonic knew that they would shoot if he made any signs of running. They blocked the door, and Sonic knew no amount of power would get him free.

"So, we meet again!" The lioness Balthazar cried out. She gave him a smile full of antipathy. "Why did you hide for so long?" She said.

Sonic did not give her the benefit of the answer. She motioned for a guard to whack him in the head. Sonic hardly cringed, and Balthazar laughed. "You should have brought your friend Miles with you." She said. "Then this war would be over."

"This war won't end until you're defeated!" Sonic said spitefully.

"And yet your part in it comes to a close." Balthazar retorted. "At the moment, I am deciding between informing the rebels of your capture, and charging a hefty fine for your release, which will never happen, or killing you now…"

"They won't fall for your trick!" Sonic said, but he knew that the rebels soft hearts may certainly do otherwise, even with Knuckle's influencing them to do the best thing.

"A pity." Balthazar continued, ignoring Sonic. "I heard you have a wife and child, Sonic."

Sonic looked shocked, and Balthazar laughed again. "I have my share of spies, hedgehog, as loyal as the rest of my men. I know everything about you…"

"Skip with the darn gossip and just kill me if that's what you want to do!" Sonic shouted at her, which earned him a hard hit in the stomach. Balthazar laughed.

"Be nice, hedgehog." I have a deal to make to you, one that will save you from death. On my throne I swear it be true.

Sonic knew that Balthazar had no lie in her lips, but he knew the deal would be a horrible one.

"My spy big, is initiating a capture tonight. Guess who?"

Sonic lips did not move. Big? Was he going to get Cosmo?"

"It is the wife of my most hated enemy, that Zoran!" She said with so much vile that Sonic thought she might as well have spit.

"If you agree to bring Zoran to me alive, you are free, you may go wherever you wish with your family, and have peace from our wrath forever. So I do swear on my throne, should you agree…"

Sonic knew that if accepted the deal, and went after Zoran, they would follow him and go after him. If Sonic ran at his first chance, Balthazar would kill him by planting an explosive on him that could easily be activated. Nevertheless, he would not betray any friend of his.

"Never!" Sonic shouted at her!

Balthazar laughed at him. "You are a fool to refuse me... but I shall give you another chance. If you change your mind tomorrow, I will spare you from your due execution. Perhaps if you don't change your mind, I'll show off your head to the rebels, hmm?"

Sonic did not like that idea at all.

**A/N: The strange thing is that I have nearly 5000 hits on Balthazar I and only about a 1000 on this one. (Perhaps due to the previous mistake of a double chapter...?) Oh well. But do please review!**


	12. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_**Star Eyes**_

**A/N: Aye, the chapter's title comes from the likeness of Violet's eyes…**

**I haven't reached the 10****th**** chapter yet, and I have a 1000 hits! Yeah! Please do review though…**

Violet looked up happily around the place. Here was an area full of the Vulpesune, the same species as Tails. She looked around at all the other foxes as they stopped what they were doing and look down at them, some uttering "Prince Miles…" while others could not find the words to speak. Several of these foxes had not seen Tails for about two decades.

Long ago, before the animals began to tolerate one another as they did now, the Vulpesune had fled to a portal to another world. Despite the varying intelligence between the species in general and in certain subjects, _every _Vulpesune is clever. They were once hated by the other races for their superiority of other races. And not every Vulpesune was good…

Yet Zoran had told Violet very little else of their people's history, and Tails was not very interested in sharing much of it with Violet. He was so used to simply being the shadow of Sonic for so long that he had sometimes did not really think much of his own capabilities.

They entered a nice warm hut, and Violet saw a smiling red fox looking back at them. She had striking red fur and hazel eyes, and had a rather cheery look about her. Violet could tell she held a position of significance, with her splendid elegant golden dress and the tiara she wore on her head.

"Miles!" She cried excitedly, and rushed up to her hug Violet's father. Violet was surprised at the fact that the two knew each other. She had never seen the female fox before.

"It's been so long…" She said to her father. "I thought about trying to locate you and my brother, but here you are, right here in our own encampment!"

"It is good to see you too, my cousin." Tails said to her. "Or would it be more proper if I called you Queen Selina?"

Queen Selina laughed. "Prince Miles, it should be I who should be addressing you, with more respect! Nay, simply call me Selina, just as you used too." She then looked toward the shy Violet, who slowly hid behind her father.

"Ah, and who is this little fox?" Selina asked her. Tails picked her up the ground and placed her in front of him, so Selina could look at the rather modest Violet.

"This is my daughter, Violet." Tails explained to her. "She's very shy, but she's as beautiful as her mother."

Queen Selina had not quite seen anything like Violet. Her eyes showed surprise at the two violet flowers growing on her head, and the tiny tendrils that lay there rather peacefully. She gazed even longer at her eyes, and curiosity flowed into her face. The longer she observed Violet, the shyer Violet became.

"Miles…" She said to him. "Goss… do you know just what you've been handling here?"

Tails looked confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.

She smiled at him reassuringly. "Oh, I do not mean to make you think I am insulting you. No, but Violet must be a grand blessing for you. You won't be able to tell yet… not without some catalyst… but when she's older…"

They're hauntingly beautiful, but they're also a sign of great gifts, or terrible, depending on how they're used…"

"Dad, what is she talking about?" Violet asked him rather fearfully.

"Three tails, starry eyes… That's a blessing indeed. Haven't seen something like this since our nine-tailed uncle!"

Tails still didn't quite understand. "Can you explain yourself, Selina? Me and Violet don't really understand just what you're trying to tell us."

Rose took a deep breath. "Tails, you know each Prower is highly gifted, and what your gifts usually depend on the number of tails you have and the hue of your fur. But Violet's eyes… Tails, they symbolize two amazing hidden gifts…"

"Gifts?" Violet asked her. "In my eyes?"

Selina laughed. "No, in your soul!"

"Well, what are these "gifts"? Tails asked rather impatiently. He was starting to think that she enjoyed keeping them in suspense a bit too much now.

Selina beamed at him. "I'm not sure exactly, they typically don't show until the mid to late teens… maybe if she came here when she was fifteen or sixteen I might know a bit more… though her eyes give a clue to what it is…"

Tails felt a bit disappointed. "So how do you know she'll be so powerful?"

Selina turned toward him reassuringly. "There is not any other creature in the world with her eyes, you know that. Centuries ago, there were all sorts of heroes and villains with odd eyes, until they were all hunted down and killed by a jealous gang whose name is lost to history. But Violet somehow has that gene again, and Miles…" She gave him a serious look. "That gene cannot be lost."

Tails nodded, and the fearful Violet, hardly understanding anything, began to shiver. "But enough of that," Queen Selina said. "Why did you come here? I doubt it is to take your rightful place, but if it is, I have no qualms of you replacing me."

Tails shook his head with a smile, and then he explained everything that they've been through so far, starting from Balthazar's first attack many years ago. Violet herself hardly knew anything about the event. She was still in her mother's belly, unable to recall anything…

"And so now your leads you here." Selina spoke as Tails finally finished. "You need not fear, Miles. You are safe here, and my guards will make sure that will happen,"

"When Balthazar has finished her conquering she will come here with a massive force and kill us all if necessary. She does not care what the costs are, or how many innocents are slain, even if they are merely infants." Tails gloomy informed her of a few of Balthazar's attacks, including one which she killed all but an old woman in a town, which had driven the old woman to insanity. Tails had been there before the massacre… and he had been the cause of it…

"So are you going to continue this cycle of running and hiding?" Selina asked him. "Constantly causing death and suffering wherever you go?"

"I don't mean to cause any harm at all…" Tails tried to defend himself.

"Of course not!" Selina said reassuringly. "But it happens anyway, does it not? And this Balthazar wants you alive, does she not?" Tails nodded.

"Then you must stop running and start strategizing." Selina seemed to be thinking rapidly. "Miles, you must fight this evil now, or the little hope that remains is rather dashed. Tails felt uncertain.

"I do not think I alone can make a big difference." Tails pointed out.

"I'm quite sure a force of three thousand well-trained foxes ready to serve will." Selina smiled at Tails surprise.

"You'd… really help me?" Tails said to her incredulously.

"Well, if we helped defeat her, I think we'd be able to more help than hiding in seclusion here." Tails smiled and gave his cousin a squeeze. The queen beamed back at him.

"How long do you think it would take?" Tails asked her.

"It would take anywhere from three to seven days." Selina informed him. "It's not the gathering of soldiers that will be the lengthy part, but the sailors."

Tails was puzzled. "We're crossing over water?" He asked her.

"Not just any body of water." The queen said to her. "We'll have to travel the treacherous Hebrides. The number of maelstrom that occur in that sea ever year is enough to frighten even some of the best sailors."

Tails knew a lot about the Hebrides. Many planes and ships had fallen from its stormy wrath. If there was any force of nature that one could fear more than the bullet of a gun, it would be the Hebrides. A bullet can miss, the Hebrides will most certainly destroy something if you manage to avoid it. Of every million men that had crossed the sea, only a thousand of those had lived to tell the tale…

Tails had told Violet about the sea as well, and she looked at him with much fear… Only a thousand and they were assembling a force three times that…

**A/N: And now you finally understand why it is titled as such…**

**Foreshadow: Every chapter from here will begin to weave the characters together… though some threads will be cut… whether from the mighty forces of nature or by the will of Balthazar.**


	13. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Rouge in the Darkness

Zoran and his two children lay stealthily in the bushes, looking upon the scene of Balthazar's capitol. It was an ugly city now. Smoke was everywhere. Enslaved Mobians were running around fearfully. There were no whips. It was just a shot from a blaster. If the slave survived, they would laugh, and then shoot them again. Sometimes, they'd purposely not shoot you in vital areas so the victim would suffer for a long period of time.

He carefully hid this from his two children. He knew it would distress Marius greatly and make Cinnamon extremely angry. No. They may desire to be heroes, but evil on this scale he would rather them not see.

"Stay Close." He informed his two children.

Marius nodded. "Right behind you dad." Cinnamon said to him.

They began to walk the streets, and as Zoran began to approach the streets, he noticed all the enslaved Mobians starting to scramble.

"Dang it!" Zoran stated. The armed patrol of guards was making their rounds.

He knew they would shoot them as soon as they saw them. Noticing a sewer lid, he quickly lifted it up. "Climb down, quickly!" He already noticed those darn vehicles getting close, the gunmen pointing their way.

Marius rushed down first the ladder. "Go Cinnamon!" Zoran shouted, practically pushing his daughter down the ladder as a laser just grazed her.

Zoran himself just barely managed to dodge another laser. There was no time to put the lid back on. They'd be followed down there…

"Keep going!" Zoran said. As soon as the three climbed down, he sprinted as fast as he could, practically dragging Marius with his hand.

They noticed laser shots being fired right behind their backs. "Ah!" Cinnamon ran into a sewer pipe that Zoran and Marius had unknowingly avoided.

"Cinnamon!" Zoran shouted, letting go of Marius and racing toward his daughter.

From one of the side alleys, she was grabbed quickly from someone hand. "Wh…"

"Over here!" A voice said.

"Come on Marius!" Zoran told him, trusting the voice.

They ran to the side alley, following Cinnamon's pouts. "Hey, let go of…"

"Quiet!"

It was too dark to see their rescuer. As the men went past them, only glancing off the side alley, Zoran felt a sigh of relief escape from his throat.

He turned to regard his rescuer. Bat-like wings protruded from her back. "Rouge?" Zoran asked, surprised. "You've been missing for months!"

The bat nodded. "Shadow and I have been hiding into the sewers during his invasion. Until he got impatient and decided to do something."

"Where did he go?" Zoran asked her.

"To Balthazar's palace. He far overestimated himself. Balthazar's got top notch security in there."

"How did he travel there?" Zoran asked, curious.

"He went out from the hatch, and just tried to zoom straight to the palace. The two of us would occasionally exit, toward one of the exits by the outskirts, climb a tree, and look at the palace. I watched him run into trouble, but since he hasn't returned, I don't think he's either captured or…" She drifted off.

"Great. So we're stuck in this stinking place too." Cinnamon pouted.

"Is this your child, Zoran? She looks like Cream but acts like a brat."

"Hey!" Cinnamon told her. "I can take you down, bat-woman!"

"Maybe after we get out of this sewer, I'll make you take back those words." Rouge told her.

"If I decided to go easy on you, perhaps." Cinnamon countered.

"Enough you two!" Zoran said. "I have a plan."

"Well, spit it out already." Rouge said.

Marius and Cinnamon sat down on the floor as Zoran illustrated his idea. "Rouge, you know the direction of the palace from the surface, right?"

"Of course."

Zoran smiled slyly. "Why don't we travel there underground?"

"You think this sewer goes under the palace?"

"I'm quite certain of it. A sewer's just like an underground highway. It's going to take us a lot of time, but by the time we get there, if we're lucky enough, and go up the right lid…"

"We might find ourselves in a good room inside the palace." Rouge finished for him.

"What if we go up the wrong one?" Marius asked nervously.

"Then we can start pounding on them!" Cinnamon said, excitedly.

"I'm never having children…" Rouge said. "Bunch of brats."

Zoran noticed that Rouge looked down. "I'm sure Shadow's still alive, Rouge."

"It's not him I'm worried about." Rouge confessed. "It's that gullible redhead that ails me. I was supposed to have returned over a month ago with Shadow, but then this all happened."

"We'll get Shadow back." Zoran told her.

"Pounding everyone along the way!" Cinnamon added.

"Then we'll take you back to Knuckie, too." Zoran said, patting Cinnamon on her head.

"Don't mess up my hair dad." Cinnamon said, irritated. "I'm a warrior girl!"

"Nope. Never having children." Rouge stated, as the four began to move out.


	14. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Time to Act

Camped just fifty miles outside of enemy lines, Knuckles sighed, putting down his ink pen as he read the letter one more time.

_To my dear beloved Rouge:_

_If you still live, and should you ever by chance read this letter, know that I march to my death, with a proud, stubborn heart. If by some miracle I survive this battle, and we live through this war, then I hope we enjoy the many years left of our lives with harmony and bliss. Yet you and I know that this is not possible. I reflect on the time we shared, and it was not long enough. Yet do not grieve on the length, but rejoice in the depth that it created in a single, short day._

_~Knuckles_

He placed the letter in an envelope, and walked out of the encampment. "Sir, the enemies already trying to surround us," One of his spies reported. "It is too late to run."

Knuckles looked at the letter in his hand, and then glanced upon his men. Captain Vector, standing proudly in front of him, Charmy, the only one with a grin, Espio, looking far ahead, where the enemy lay, waiting, and Mighty, looking bloodthirsty. The other soldiers, not as experienced or renown, knew that this was the end. To Knuckle's surprise, most had looks of grim determination, not fear. They had accepted death.

Knuckles sighed, and then approached the chameleon. "Espio… I need you leave the battlefield. I need you to deliver this letter back the Rebel Camp."

"But battle could start at any moment!" Espio protested. "I wouldn't get back in time to help you!"

"I know." Knuckles told him. He put a hand on the stunned Espio's shoulder. "Today's not your day to die."

Espio's eyes widened. "Knuckles, I'm as ready as the rest. Let me fight with you."

"No."

"Sir…"

"No. Go back, Espio. The greatest honor you can give me is getting this envelope to the base. There's two letters inside. One's for Amy, and the other… is for Rouge." He told him.

Understanding finally hit Espio. The other soldiers looked at him. Some were disappointed; a few smiled, but most were too preoccupied with their own thoughts to care much about Espio leaving. Espio bowed politely, took Knuckle's letter, and with a wisp of the wind, was gone from sight. Knuckles could hear him step away from the camp, and then nothing at all.

The red echidna turned back to his men, about to give them a few words of encouragement, when the first bombardment came.

"Take cover!" Knuckles ordered his troops. The army of five hundred soldiers quickly moved, some crawling to a low position. The sharpshooters, lead by Charmy, moved in to attempt to knock any soldiers moving close up.

"Fire the laser cannons!" Knuckles roared to Mighty. The large armadillo saluted, and repeated the order to the artillery handlers. A blast of hot, electric energy soared through the air, burning trees as it landed.

Soldiers in mass numbers were appearing in the forests. Hundreds and hundreds were seemingly pouring in, and the sharpshooters moved quickly to reload, machine gunners started roaring their guns. Knuckles watched one of his men get picked up by a sniper. He fell painfully, dead, his hand slowly falling to the ground. He noticed bits of another soldier fly up into a tree as another cannon blast slammed into the ground, not too far from Knuckles.

They were under five hundred men now. "Through the smoke grenades, put on your enhanced vision goggles!" He ordered his men.

Blasts of grey mist filled the battlefield, which Knuckles knew would temporarily slow the men down. With their goggles on, however, they could see right through the mist. "Mow them down! Mow them down!"

It was Rebel Mobian vs. Mobians loyal to Balthazar and her robotic monsters. A giant, ant like machine approached them, firing lasers from where its antenna were.

Mighty, smiling at the challenge, moved the nozzle of the laser cannon, aiming it just right. "Fire!" He ordered the artillery operators.

The laser cannon arched through the air, just over the ant machine, and then falling right on the center of its back. The shot went right through the machine, and the ant fell to the ground, unoperational.

Knuckle's troops cheered, but then they turned around, as they noticed they were being swarmed by men on all sides.

Balthazar's generals, Knuckles knew, didn't care how many men they lost. They just kept sending them. They kept inching closer and closer, the number of casualties, Knuckles knew, were in the thousands. Knuckles was glad he wasn't going to live through this. This was a massacre. Fighting Eggman was one thing… but Balthazar was a Mobian, leading a bunch of Mobians against rebel Mobians.

A fight of Democracy vs. Absolute Monarchy. Knuckles knew they would lose.

A machine gunner fell to the ground, hit by a laser from a soldier's rifle. Another soldier was hit with an old fashioned bullet, cringing to the ground. A whole group was simply incinerated by a flaming motar shell, bursting the area around them in an inferno.

The battlefield was getting hot. Corpses were everywhere, severed heads, arms, legs, blood. Knuckles would have wept in fear, until he thought of Rouge. If she was dead… he knew who to blame.

He picked up a gun from a dead soldier, and started firing. Soldiers just fell from his bullet. He had lost it now, just firing like crazy.

Captain Vector was breathing heavily on the ground, cringing in agony as death slowly took him over. A huge shell of mortar had slammed into his chest. A soldier of Balthazar's stepped over him, slamming his head with the butt of his rifle to end his pain.

Charmy was hit by another sharpshooter's shot. He was down for ever. Knuckles, too, got hit by a shot by a sniper, but it wasn't enough. Grabbing the fallen Charmy's rifle, he aimed, and fired back at the sniper. The soldier would never fire at anyone again.

Knuckles whirled around, noticing his laser cannon, along with its operators and mighty, enflamed. They ran toward the enemy, bursting in flame a couple enemy soldiers, before finally falling down in pain from the biting tongue of fire.

Another shot hit Knuckles, and now he fell to the ground. As he lay there, his side roaring with pain, he looked into the eyes of a dead soldier. They were opened, and there was a star-shaped hole in one of them. Soon, he didn't see dead soldiers at all, but the face of Rouge. Was he going to heaven?

Then the face of the dead soldier came back into his vision, and then it slowly darkened…

A/N: Wow… that was probably one of the more bloody scenes I've ever written…


	15. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The rabbit Cream skipped slowly toward Cosmo's room, humming merrily to herself as she looked up at the cloudy sky. It was a grayish hue, ominous, as if predicting a surprise.

When she finally arrived at Cosmo's solid steel door, she knocked hard with her fist. She sighed as she heard no movement inside, sat on the mat, and patiently waited. The only ones who had the key to the place were Knuckles and Cosmo herself. Yet Knuckles had gone to battle, entrusting the key to Amy. She had heard nothing of his forces yet. She hoped they would return home soon…

After waiting for several minutes, she hopped up. "Well, she's probably with Amy then." Cream said to herself. "I think I'll look there."

As she skipped through the men, a large, purple cat caught her attention. Big. She hadn't seen him forever.

"Big!" She shouted to him, running happily to him, throwing her arms out to give him a hug.

The giant cat opened up his arms as the rabbit squeezed him tight. She then looked up at his eyes, and noticed something odd about his smile. "Big? Is there something wrong? Did Balthazar do something to…?"

"Oh, Balthazar did nothing to me." Big replied softly. A huge, sinister grin appeared on his face. "But she's sure going to do something to you."

Perplexed, Cream asked "What do you…"

Her question was interrupted by a sound fist on the top of her head. As she fell to the ground, slowly blackening out from the blunt blow, she heard the cat whisper. "This was easier than I thought. Tie her up, and don't forget to…"

She didn't hear any more.

Amy and Cosmo were standing in a circular room, filled with the sounds of falling water. It was an indoor room filled with trees, with water flowing like a stream from a pond inside. The two were overlooking the water from a bridge, a solemn smile on their faces as Amy let out a sigh. "What do I tell my son, Cosmo?" She asked him. "He's been asking about Sonic for so long. I don't know what to say anymore! He thinks we got a divorce! He doesn't understand this is a war." A tear slipped down her eye, although Amy had tried so hard to control her emotions now.

Cosmo put an arm around her friend. "Tell him his father's being a hero, helping the world from a greater evil. It's the truth, and it makes him feel better."

Amy sighed. "You make sense there, Cosmo." She looked down upon herself. "But I can hardly believe it myself! He's been gone for so long, Cosmo! I need to see him again!" She sobbed, and then stood up straight, pulling herself together. "But we're all suffering here! I've got to be strong for our cause!"

Cosmo smiled at her friend, and Amy returned it empathetically. "Thanks, Cosmo."

The two suddenly turned, noticing a chameleon approaching them steadily. "Espio?" Amy asked. "Is Knuckles back? What happened?"

The chameleon said nothing for a moment, panting. There was dirt on his legs, and his feet were bloody. Amy realized that Espio had never stopped to rest. "Here, this letters for you, Amy. And I have another for Rouge, she hasn't by any chance returned?"

"No, she hasn't." Amy replied, shaking her head. "But what's going on with…"

"I don't know what it says, but I'm sure the letter will explain all."

Amy sighed, and the three gathered around the letter.

_Amy,_

_My scouts reported a huge number of enemy forces. My own force will be crushed by this army, although we will take down who we can. Nevertheless, none of our soldiers will survive this day, I'm afraid. Not even me. You may search for survivors… but it will most likely be in vain. Don't waste time. Prepare your defenses…_

_I beg you Amy; please give the other letter Espio possess to Rouge. If she still lives… I would like her to have it._

_I hope things go well with you for Sonic and you. Tell Cosmo that I'm certain that she will be reunited with Tails one day._

_~Knuckles_

Amy's face began to soften, her head looking down, a gloom setting on her face. "Espio… how much time do we have before they come here?"

"Not much." Espio admitted. "A day, three at max."

Amy nodded. She sighed, her head looking upon the water. "To end… like this?" She asked herself. "To lose Knuckles, and soon, us all."

"It's me she's after." Cosmo reminded them. "As well as my husband and child. Let me turn myself in, and spare your lives."

"I'll not have Knuckles die for naught." Amy told Cosmo. "And I'll not ever let you die by her hands, Cosmo."

"Are we going to prepare our defenses?" Espio asked.

Amy shook her head. "That would be futile." No, we have seen direct confrontation fail. Even with larger numbers, we cannot out power Balthazar. Yet perhaps we can outsmart her."

"Outsmart? Are you suggesting guerilla warfare?" Espio asked.

"Better. Slay the shepherd and the sheep will scatter." Amy said.

"You want to go straight to Balthazar?" Cosmo fearfully questioned her.

"Yes, but only after we throw her army off the scent." Amy told them. "First, we need to completely get ourselves out of her. The fortress we are in makes us isolated, an easy target. So, let's assume formlessness. Let's get out of here, and while plotting the invasion of the capitol, let us randomly attack her where we can."

"We'd have to start packing now." Espio told her. "And we couldn't survive long on the road."

"We'll die sooner her." Amy argued. She turned to Cosmo. "Can you get Cream, and tell her we're about to head out of here? Commander Espio, tell the rest of the rebels."

"I… Yes, Mrs. Rose." Espio obliged, humbled by his sudden promotion.

Yet as Cosmo was about to do as Amy asked, a messenger rushed toward Amy, a grim expression on her face. "Mrs. Rose, I have terrible news."

"What is it?" She asked, concerned. "Are we being attacked?"

"No," the messenger replied. "Your friend… Cream, she's been kidnapped."

"But who? Amy asked. "Who could have done it…?"

The messenger's answer shocked the pink hedgehog.

A**/N: Next chapter is Interlude III, and it focuses on Balthazar, and then Miles. This Interlude promises to be more intense than its previous two, so look out! Look for an update domani or the day after domani (tomorrow)**

**As for my other stories, The Final Dawn will be updated during Spring Break; I will try my best to get a chapter a day. The sequel to A Tale of Tails and Plants will also be submitted soon.**


	16. Interlude III

**Interlude III**

**The Wrath of the Hebrides**

The Commander Salazar knelt respectfully in front of the lioness Balthazar, his head bowed low as his mouth began to move. "Empress… our forces have just recently had a skirmish with the red echidna known as Knuckles. We crushed the whole squadron. No survivors have been reported." The cybernetic lion's voice drawled like a hoarse vulture's caw.

"Excellent!" Balthazar shouted, happily. "Commander Salazar, rise!"

The Commander rose, hiding his smile with his usual masked expression. Best not to look too proud in front of Balthazar.

The female lioness sat up from her seat, then approached Salazar. Her fingers began to caress his neck, her mouth very close to his ear. "Remind me how you came to be in such a… mechanical state, my commander." Their lips met for a second, before Balthazar drew away.

"It was a vicious battle against the rebels, my empress." Salazar reminded her. "One of the rebels, a red echidna, practically blasted half my body. The fool missed my heart, and now I am stronger." Balthazar smiled seductively at his response as their lips meet again.

"Can your body handle… me?" She asked, her arms over his neck. "I need some entertainment before I execute that blasted Sonic. I doubt he'll agree to my demands. Perhaps I'll broadcast it, so the rebels can watch their hero fall."

"That is well thought out my empress." Salazar complimented her.

"Thank you, commander, Salazar." Balthazar told him, withdrawing from him. "Now, follow me to my chambers, and entertain me..."

Miles Tails Prower's daughter shivered as the ship rocked rather uneasily over the steadily rising waves of the deep Hebrides Sea. Her young, star-like eyes trailed to her father for support, but all the fox could do was put her arm around her and hold her close.

His cousin and Zoran's sister, Queen Selina Prower, stood by next to him, gazing upon his daughter with admiration. "I see something in your daughter, Miles."

"What do you mean?" Miles asked, his eyes gazing at Selina."

Queen Selina looked at his daughter fondly, her head nuzzled against his fuzzy chest. "Greatness, that unmatched by any Prower, even more so than your famous nine-tailed father. Those eyes… she's going to have a bunch of suitors, that beautiful girl of yours."

"Oh, I hope not!" Miles replied humorously. "I'm not quite ready to give her up yet."

The two gazed upon the other ships. They had about sixty vessels, each containing about five hundred warriors. The vessels were large, but made to handle the rocking waves of the Hebrides.

Tails noticed a flash of lighting crash into a rock floating in the water, the pieces sputtering away, splashing into the waves, and then sinking deep into the depths.

His daughter looked curiously upon him. "Dad… the water…"

Queen Selina and Miles both looked to see a huge, rising wave coming straight toward them. "That's no natural storm…" Selina told them. "By Mother Nature… what incarnation is this?"

One of their ships, in the very back, began to steer away. Selina watched in agony as the water just swarmed over it. The shouts of her men from that boat carried all the way over there. Likely none would survive.

"Lower the sails! Steer towards starboard, and most of all, move quickly!" She ordered her captain. "Full speed, hold no fuel back!" The captain nodded at her orders, shouting it to his assistants.

A wave suddenly crashed into another boat, this one just about nearly tipping over, but by some miracle they managed to just stay up. A few men and women however, flew overboard. They were crushed by the waves.

"There it is…" Queen Selina whispered to Miles, a hint of fear in her voice.

A hurricane like effect had appeared on the water, a terrible spinning monster within the sea. A maelstrom.

Queen Selina was relieved as her other ships began to steer away. They'd survive this maelstrom. "We're halfway there… we can get past this!" She whispered to herself. She watched her captain try to steer away as well, and for a moment, it almost looked as if they'd make it…

But then their ships began to be pushed even closer, and the waves just started crashing. "Aaaaah!" Violet screamed as a giant wave threw her overboard.

"Violet!" Miles shouted, getting ready to dive deep into the water, not even caring about the storm. Yet before he could do so, Queen Selina held him back.

"What are you doing! Let me go!" Miles ordered her.

The queen shook her head earnestly. "Look, Miles!" Violet was already a league away. The storm was carrying her so far away from him.

"Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!" Miles kept yelling at her, actually breaking free, but then suddenly being seized by his guards, and just in time too. Another wave had slammed into the ship, as the boat inched even closer into the maelstrom.

"By Mother Nature! Captain, put everything in for speed! Forget stability!"

"But my queen, if a wave hits us…"

"Just do it!"

The captain nodded. Another one of her warriors fell into the depths. The waves crushed her, carrying the vixen far away as the fox struggled for breath.

Queen Selina stood in the middle of the boat, chanting. "Mother Nature… I call to you…"

**"And I hear your call…"** a voice responded, heard by both Miles and Queen Selina.

"Mother!" Queen Selina rejoiced.

"Mother Nature?" Miles asked. "I haven't heard you since…"

**"Since the great storm came over your city. I have not forgotten, Miles Prower. You served me well in teaching Balthazar a lesson."**

"But she is terrorizing us again!" Miles asked her. "And now we are in one of your maelstroms."

**"Remember your scar, Miles. Only you have the power to save yourself and your allies."**

"What scar is she talking about, cousin?" Queen Selina asked him.

"The lightning bolt…" Miles recalled. He placed his hand on his chest. It had lit up gold again. "But it doesn't work without the seven diamonds, and you have them!"

**"Perhaps not to such an unlimited extent… but you need no catalyst Miles. You never did. It was always in your heart. Think of your daughter. Think of your wife. Think of your greatest fear as you put your hand over your heart…"**

Miles did as he said, thinking of his wife, remembering what it was like to kiss her lips, remembering his daughter, perhaps dead, but he did not dawdle on that, just her scent, and those violet flowers on head. Then he thought of lightning, which he feared so much, and yet was imprinted on his own chest.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came from the sky… and struck into his body. Queen Selina gasped. Miles Prower felt no pain though, as the bolt came into him, and then infused with the ship.

Suddenly, as the captain attempted to steer away from the terrible maelstrom, the ship began to pick up speed and strength. The maelstrom seemed unable to pull the ship any closer. The waves still crashed into the boat, but the men had grown a sudden strength into them, and none wanted to fall off the boat now, their morale increased by this sudden miracle.

Queen Selina gasped again as she saw her ship completely out of the Maelstrom's pull, and her smile heartened as she saw that only one of her ships had sunk into the depths.

As the electrical energy slowly left Mile's body, the crew let out a thunderous roar, Queen Selina ran up to hug him, and several others patted him on the back.

"Selina… what about Violet?"

Selina was quiet. "Mother…? Are you still there…"

There was no response.

Tears began to fall down the fox's face. "I failed…" He muttered into Selina's shoulder, tears rolling down the fox's eye.

The sea was quiet now, as if it was too, lamenting the dead. The ships sailed quietly under the cloudy sky, a bit of daylight trickling in to glance down upon the grieving miles.

The ships began to sail, almost as if in mourning, slowly toward the shore.

Violet Prower felt a presence near her… but she couldn't move… was too weak to open her eyes… she thought she passed out yet again…

"Are you awake…? Gosh, of all places, you had to turn up to right here, just a mile off the mainland. Your luck's almost as bad as mine…"

Violet Prower opened up her eyes to see a cyan colored fox with a silver streak. He had four tails, but to her surprise, they had a wolfish feature about them.

"Oh, so you are awake. Well, perhaps your luck's getting better…"

"Who… are… you…?" Violet asked weakly, trying to no avail to pull herself up.

"Oh, please, just stay down. You're too weak to get up right now!" The fox told her. "My name's Tsunami, I'm a sea fox/wolf. It's quite your misfortune to be here right now. We're a mile off the mainland…"

"Where's…. my… father...?"

"No one else is here, I'm sorry." The fox told her. "Well, I guess this is an orphan's island now."

"But… he's… still… alive!" Violet tried to explain. "So… is… my… mother! Must… find…"

"They're still alive? Well, you're quite lucky then! I'll help you get across the water… but only once you've gotten some rest. Then you can look for your parents. I'd join you… but I'm sure to make you fail." Tsunami had a grim smile on his face as Violet's eyes slowly began to close.

When her eyes finally shut, her body collapsing from fatigue, she could just hear the fox's last words. "Well… at least you have some luck in you…"

**A/N: Rather intense chapter, no? Next chapter goes to Sonic…**


	17. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Rescued Again

Sonic the hedgehog sighed, listening to the clanging of metal chains hanging from the dark ceilings. The room was completely made with brick, lit only by torches. Against the corner of the wall, Shadow the hedgehog sat quietly. No noise was heard for several moments but the clinging of the chains, as Sonic watched from his cell, just waiting for Balthazar to approach.

"You could agree to kill Zoran." Shadow informed him. "Your loss would be far worse than that of the fox."

"No." Sonic told him firmly. "I'm not putting my title in jeopardy… never again. I'll die a hero rather than become some pawn of Balthazar."

Shadow smirked. "Stubborn hero types."

Sonic turned to him. "Why are you still alive?" He asked, curious.

"I'm bait." Shadow informed him. "She knows Rouge is still out there. She knows she won't leave without me."

Sonic smiled. "That's friendship."

"That's foolishness." Shadow retorted. "She will come, and she will die."

A rap came on the cell door, as food was practically thrown in there. The slush spilled all over the floor. Much of the liquid seeped into the brick dirt. "Eat up, hedgehog; this is your last meal."

"Hey, I'm still in here!" Shadow yelled at him.

"Balthazar has decided to starve you a bit as punishment for your insults. Respect us and you get fed."

"Dang scum!" Shadow yelled at the guard, as he laughed and walked away. He banged against the dirty, brick wall with his fist, snarling in frustration. "This is not the place for the ultimate life form!"

Suddenly, the group listened to an explosion-like sound just outside their cell. They looked down to see smoke coming from the ground. "What's going on?" Sonic asked. The two hedgehogs stepped back from the door, watching the smoke carefully.

"Ha! I knew we could do it!"

"Cinnamon?" Sonic asked earnestly. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's us!" Zoran told them. As the smoke cleared, the two recognized Zoran, his two children, and the bat Rouge appear from the hole in the ground.

"Rouge…" Shadow muttered.

"I can see your happy to see me." Rouge said to him.

"Hmph." Shadow replied in his typically manner.

"Zoran, we need to get out of here quickly, before Balthazar comes. But we don't have the key!"

"Well…" Zoran begin to contemplate. "We could…"

"Nah, we don't need a key." Cinnamon told them. To the startling surprise of all of them, even Rouge, she began picking the lock with her ears. Ten seconds later, the door opened.

"So that's how you always get into my room!" Marius realized.

"Remind me to ground you when this is all over." Zoran told her.

"I'll forget." Cinnamon replied smartly.

"Alright, what do we do now, Zoran?" Rouge asked him. "We've got the two… do we…"

"Hey! The prisoners are escaping!" Their heads turned toward the door, as the wide eyed guard that had thrown in their food was peering at them.

"Marius, Cinnamon, down that ladder!"

"Dad…" Cinnamon began to protest.

"Listen to me!" Zoran ordered her."Go!"

Shadow, eager for revenge, raced toward the guard, his hand clenched into a fist, smacking into the guard's face as his feet raced toward him, forcing him hard to the ground. Shadow looked down upon the unconscious guard, kicking him in the side for good measure. "No one treats me poorly and gets away with it!"

Marius was already down the ladder, Cinnamon hesitatingly following behind. "Guards are coming!" Shadow warned them.

"Let's leave." Zoran told them.

"What about Balthazar?" Rouge asked.

"We've been given away." Zoran told her. "We can't hide stealthily. Plus, I'm not going to risk losing anyone else today."

Rouge nodded. "Fine, let's get out of here."

Zoran practically kicked his stubborn daughter down the ladder, as he soared down by it. Shadow was delaying the guards the best he could, flying on direction to throw them off, and then racing back, right to the ladder, and began to speedily descend it.

As the two reached the bottom, in the smelly sewer, Shadow knocked down the ladder, glancing at the others, just standing around. "Come on, let's move." He ordered them impatiently

"Let your eyes adjust, and you'll see." Rouge whispered to him. As Shadow peered into the darkness, he noticed several guards pointing their guns at him.

To Shadow's horror, he could not see Zoran, Marius, or Cinnamon amongst their ranks. Were they dead? Shadow tried to direct the question in his eyes to Rouge, but when she replied with a smile, he was very confused. What was going on…?

"Ha! So the bait hooks the fish!" The head guard said. "This time though, I'm afraid I have orders to kill you both. I hope you've said your goodbyes, because we're about to give you a very, painful, final goodbye."

The guard has his hand on the trigger, and Shadow was about to grab Rouge, and charge right through the ranks, when the head guard and the two guards next to him fell to the ground, unconscious. The other guards turned in horror. Shadow, not wasting a moment, quickly charged against their ranks, spinning rapidly as he collided against the circle as if they were a bunch of pins.

Suddenly, Zoran, Marius, and Cinnamon all reappeared, their invisibility dissipating from the knockout they had given their enemies. Zoran drew both of his blades, swinging them against an unsuspecting guard's weapon, completely disarming him. Cinnamon and Marius both tackled another guard, sending him sprawling into the yucky green river of the sewer. Rouge, meanwhile, kicked the guards from up high, then picked up another from his shoulders. "Let me down, let me down!" He cried, trying to knock off Rouge's hand in vain as she carried him higher.

"Ready for a trip in the water?" She asked him. "Well, I hope you like water."

She dropped the guard into the murky lake, giggling as the guard swam as far away from her as possible. The other guards, too, began to retreat.

"You think they'll send another group at us?" Marius asked his father earnestly. "I'm kind of getting tired of fighting. Can't we all just share a cup of tea?'

"This is war, stupid." Cinnamon reminded her younger brother in a rather sharp tone. "Are you that much of a moron! Fight, fight, and more fight! That's what there's going to be, so live with it!"

"That's enough, Cinnamon; you're scaring your brother."

"It's the truth!"

"Not always…" He replied. He then gave Marius a solemn pat on the head. "But sadly, it's usually that way."

Marius looked at the unconscious guards pitifully. "Shadow… you think they'll be alright?"

Shadow smirked. "I hope not." He glanced at Marius, seeing tears falling from his eyes. "Weakling."

"I am not weak!" Marius replied to him, almost sobbing. "It's just… sad…"

"Hey, its okay, Marius." Zoran said, patting his son. He turned to Rouge. "We better move back to base. Balthazar's going to be hunting for us down here."

Rouge nodded, and then looked at the dark pipes, and the green water. "I just hope that the marks we made on the walls are still there…"

The party of five began to carefully make their way amongst the dark, hardly noticing that a pair of eyes began to leer their way, signaling to another group to get ready to move…

**A/N: Another battle scene. I'm telling you now, Chapter 15 has the best, most dramatic battle scene by far…**

**Someone dies before Interlude IV! Who will it be?**


	18. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Brutality of War

His eyes began to open for a moment, and then closed. He looked at a burnt tree, its leaves practically incinerated, the tree itself weak, but still standing, if at an odd angle. He had yet to move his head, and for several hours, he just lay there like that. He lifted his arm, noting the gashes on his hand and the deep bruises on his red arm.

He looked to his left, and he gasped. He saw a face, that of a tiger. He was missing an eye, a star-shaped hole taking its place. His smile was that of shock, frozen eternally to his face for all time. His other eye was open wide, his eyebrow raised. The red stains of blood were still lingering all over his clothes and body.

"You say this is the work of Balthazar…" Knuckles heard a voice ask.

"I'm afraid so." Knuckles heard another voice, this one familiar, reply. "If only we got here earlier..."

"That storm made things take much longer… oh, I'm sorry cousin. I really shouldn't mention that."

"No, it's okay…" The second voice's owner finally came to him.

"Tails. Tails. Tails!" Knuckles tried to shout.

Queen Selina and Miles Tails Prower turned around toward the source, and Tails' eye grew wide as he noticed the beaten body of Knuckles. "Gosh… Knuckles, you're alive!"

Knuckles smiled at him painfully, trying to raise his aching arm, but to no avail. "Well, I guess it wasn't my time to die yet…" He then gave Tails an earnest look. "Is anyone else alive?"

Knuckles could already tell from the expression on Tails' face what the answer was. "We found one man, but he died just as soon as we arrived. I'm sorry, Knuckles, we didn't get here in…"

"You are not to blame, Tails, you are not the general."

Tails fell silent as Knuckles looked upon the bright morning sun. He never thought he would feel its rays again. He glanced around at the battlefield, at destroyed artillery guns, at the wreckage of Balthazar's robots, burnt trees, dead trees, scorched grass, and body parts all over the ground. Then finally, after a deep sigh, he turned to look at Tails companion. "Who are you?" He asked the other fox.

"I'm Queen Selina, Tails' cousin, but please just call me Selina." She made a motion to her hand. "Medics! Come here, attend to this brave warrior."

As the medics, two single-tailed foxes with a badge on their chest, began to attend to Knuckle's minor and immediately fixable wounds, he saw Selina turn around, looking upon the wreckage herself, with a painful expression on her face. Then she turned around, looking at Tails. "I forgot how much I hated war. I lost my fiancé to its brutality… This is a harsh reminder… of what I failed to hold on to."

Tears began to slide down her tears, but Selina let out no sobs, and Tails put his arm around her, and Selina began to cry quietly in his shoulder. Some other searchers, listening to her tears, looked upon their ruler with a sad face, and then lowered their heads politely.

"I never knew…" Tails began to speak to her. "I… I shouldn't have asked…"

"No, Miles," Selina reassured him. "I'm glad I'm helping you. You can't fix the past, that's all." She sighed, her eyes gazing upon the sunlight with an expression of longing.  
"Heartbreak hurts Miles, especially when you think that this is it, and then you lose it. Now, I'm the virgin queen of the Kitsune, but I'd rather be a powerless peasant, and have him with me, with children of our own."

The medics were helping Knuckles up, and the two turned from their conversation as the saw the brave echidna stand. Then to the horror of them all, Knuckles began walking away. "Where are you going?" Miles said, running in front of him.

"To find Rouge." He responded. "Go back and reinforce Amy's army. I… I need to know Rouge's alive… or life's not worth living."

"You love this Rouge?" Selina asked him. Knuckles nodded with a determined look on his expression. She put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll find her Knuckles, I know you will."

Tails hesitated as Knuckles began to walk again, and then he ran up to him again. "Let us go with you. If you're going to Balthazar's, you'll need an army."

"What? Don't you want to see your wife?"

"Knuckles, I do want to see her, but it's of utmost importance that I get to my lab. If I can get this army there, and I can arm them with my creation… maybe… just maybe, we might be able to ignite an uprising, get enough followers, and then defeat Balthazar."

Knuckles thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "Okay. But please Tails, for all our sakes, don't get yourself killed. Don't do anything heroic. If someone's got to risk their life for something, let it be me."

As the two shook hands and hugged, a thought came to Knuckles. "Hey… where's your daughter?"

Tails jumped t the question, and Knuckles knew the answer was going to be bad. "She… she got swept up by the storm."

The breath Knuckles was about to release stayed in his lungs as he stared at poor Tails. "That's… Tails…"

"I'm not ready to face Cosmo and tell her yet." Tails admitted. "How can you tell a mother that her daughter is dead, when you were the one responsible for her life? She's my wife, how can I say I've failed her?"

Knuckles and Selina looked down, and a gloomy silence filled the sparse, lifeless place. "Maybe I could go and tell her for you, or at least say that you yourself are okay."

"No, it's too dangerous to go back to the fortress right now." Knuckles told her. "We have this huge army Balthazar doesn't know about… let's take advantage of it now, and let's not hesitate."

The group of three nodded. "Well, this is certainly a mixed day." Knuckles told them. "The next few days better bring the death of that lioness… I have a deep urge to give her a huge knuckle sandwich.

Selina gave another wave with her hand, and then the searchers stopped searching for any live soldiers, made a whistle sound, and stepped behind her in formation. To Knuckle's amazement, he saw several foxes appearing from the beach, rushing into formation with the finesse and speed of a gazelle.

"Tails… this might work quite well…" Knuckles said, a smile appearing on his face, as a large feeling of hope began to grow in his heart.

"2500 warriors trained and ready." Selina informed him. "They are stealthy, accurate, strong, and adaptable." As the last few foxes began to pile in formation, she turned back to Knuckles with a pleased smile. "They are ready, for you, Knuckles."

Tails gave Knuckles a small smirk, quite surprised himself by the quickness of the warriors. "Orders, Commander."

Knuckle's mouth was still gaping, and as he realized this, he quickly closed this, assuming a serious an emotionless expression on his face. He then shouted out to every fox out there, raising his voice high and loud, ringing with passion. "To Balthazar's capitol city, we march! Vengeance will be won!"

The soldiers all grabbed their swords, weapons, and the lucky few that had found blasters off corpses, and raised them high, shouting as loud as possible. A triumphant smile on Knuckle's face, he turned around, slowly beginning to march to the direction of Balthazar's capitol… once the capitol of the free Mobian world.

And when this was over… it would forever be the capitol of the free Mobian world.


	19. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Big's Battle outside the Citadel.

When Cream finally came to, she noticed that was hardly wearing anything, her clothes almost completely torn, except for a thin strip that went around her neck. She noticed that a chain was tied around her body. She then glanced ahead, the figure of Big not yet noticing she was awake. In front and behind her the panthers were dragging her chains, forcing her to follow through the coarse, dirt road. There were trees aligned by the sides of the road. To her horror, there were no other living things around. She was alone.

"Big?" She asked, still very perplexed. "What are you doing?"

"Taking revenge." The cat said simply.

"I never did anything to you!" She replied, puzzled. "What possibly could have done to offend you such that you desire to take vengeance?"

"I did not say that the vengeance was inspired by any actions of yours." Big said coldly to the bare rabbit. "Your suffering is a tool, not just a pleasure."

"A pleasure…?" Cream asked him, shocked. "Big… what's happened to you? What have you done to me?"

"What does it look like?" Big asked her coolly. "I have grown cold. While you were out I tortured you even more. You probably forgotten most of it… but you'll probably recollect soon enough."

She then noticed that they had arrived at a gate, although it was hard to see anything at ground level.

"You're not explaining your motive at all, how can I help you if…"

"You are helping me." The cat informed her. "I will exchange your imprisonment with Froggy's, and all will be fine."

"Big… Froggy's just…"

"You dare to devalue my frog's life?" Big retorted. "You dare to say yours is more important. It is precisely that same mistake that has made me who I am."

She said nothing as she heard the gates opened. "How did she get Froggy?"

"He was practically given to her." Big began to inform her, as he waited for the gate to open. "That cruel, heartless fox you married threw Froggy at one of the high officers to get away, months ago. He saw it on the ground, and most likely thought it would be amusing to humiliate the officer. But you don't humiliate Salazar, nope. He would have roasted him, but I was there myself. I told him I was a spy for Knuckles, and I would leave if he gave me the frog. Instead, being wise, they captured me, made me a double spy, and told me that if I served sufficiently enough, I would get my Froggy back."

"Big… she's lying to you." Cream told him earnestly. "You have to believe me!"

"Perhaps you're right." Big replied emotionlessly to her. "A double spy is dangerous to keep around. Yet I want Zoran and any friend of his dead, and so does she. For as long as you and your friends live, we are mutual allies. Besides, all I want is Froggy… and you'll be the puzzle piece that completes that goal."

Big then went through the opened gate, and two of the guards guarding the gate approached him. Big flashed a piece of paper at them, and then the guards examined his prisoner curiously. "You're bringing a practically naked rabbit to Balthazar. I'm sure my men would be happier if you left her with us to play with… Enlighten us on your motive."

"This is Zoran Prower's wife, and Zoran Prower is one of our top wanted men. Surely, this is powerful bait, no?" Big replied, a menacing look in his eye.

The two officers backed off a bit, and then gave him a small smile. "Yes… Balthazar will be pleased by your cunning. Er… you may continue."

Satisfied, Big continued to drag the rabbit along the roads. In any normal situation, being naked in public would have been embarrassing, but Cream was too sad to be embarrassed. She would be a prisoner of Balthazar, and as soon as Zoran learned about it, he would probably foolishly sacrifice himself for her.

They passed through several houses, a few farms and skyscrapers, and then Big finally stopped in front of a canal of water. On the other side was a large citadel. "Welcome to your new home, rabbit." Big said, laughing menacingly. "Ah, but before I ring for Balthazar, I must enjoy your company once more."

Cream looked up at him with a horror-stricken look. Fight or surrender? She didn't think either would do her much help.

The panthers looked up at Big hopefully, but he shook his head. "Later, perhaps, if Balthazar permits it. For now this rabbit is mine to play with."

Cream began to scream as Big's hands caressed her face, forcing her to look at him. Then all four of them looked as they noticed a grate nearby open. None of them could see the face, but they all could see the yellow eyes in the darkness, glaring intently upon Big.

"Shouldn't you ask politely, with please?" The voice coming from under the grate asked.

"Come out, fool." Big demanded. "I'll have Balthazar behead you for interrupting my business."

"If you don't get your hands off her, I'll do far worse to you."

Big then heard the sounds of two swords being drawn from their sheaths, pushing the grate off. The two panthers backed up a bit as the smell of sewage water and rotten fish seeped into their noses, but Big only glared harder as the form of Zoran Prower emerged from the sewer.

"Oh, hello there!" Zoran said mockingly, as if his naked, nearly victimized wife wasn't even there. "I've been following you for sometime, and I just wanted to greet you."

Big drew out a laser blade, glowing with immense electrical energy. "Balthazar said save this for an emergency… I think you'll do for one." His eyes then grew curious. "But tell me, how did you get in here?"

"The sewers go on for a long way." Zoran pointed out.

"You crawled in from the outskirts. How foolish and undeniably dumb. Balthazar knows you're around now that you've emerged. She'll double up fortifications. Any surprise attack you've had in mind is now jeopardized, thanks to your stupid heroic stunt."

"Hand over my wife… and I won't harm you. I promise." Zoran told him, lowering his blades.

"You've already injured me greatly…" Big replied through gritted teeth. "Now I'm going to repay the favor!"

Big charged at the fox, and the two panthers drew out their blasters, preparing to fire. Zoran just barely got up his swords in time to deflect the blow from Big's blade. As the energy from the laser blade clashed into Zoran's enchanted swords, he felt a shock go into his arm, and he barely was able to block out the pain. Had the panther's not been off target with their shooting, he could easily have been killed right then, with his guard lowered like that.

Cream watched in agony as her husband fought her captors. This time, it seemed, technology would beat the ancient magic that Zoran possessed. "Please… Zoran!" She cried out to him desperately.

The single-tailed fox just barely dove under another slash from Big's blade, the laser energy bristling the tips of Zoran's fur, and he yelped in pain.

He then spun around just in time for his sword to absorb the blast fire coming from the panthers. Then to the shock of Cream, he pulled one of his swords back, and threw it at one of the panthers. It went right into the panther's neck, causing the creature to choke. It dropped it's blaster, it's hand going to its neck as it clutched onto its last moments of life, trying to cry out in agony.

"Fool!" Big told him. "You're nothing with one blade." Big triumphantly stabbed out with his saber, but Zoran quickly turned invisible.

Big stopped moving, scanning calmly. When he noticed a figure charging he struck home at the sword, a second before Zoran would have been too close to remain unseen.

Zoran cried out in pain, the searing energy making it seem as if his arm was sawed off. With his free hand, he attempted to create a forceful wind, but Big was too fast, knew him too well. Zoran had to dive out the way as Big's saber missed his fuzzy fur by millimeters.

A blaster from the second panther seeped into his left shoulder, and Zoran yelped. Big laughed triumphantly as he glanced upon the weaked Zoran. Zoran did not let his captor see the pain he was fighting. Instead, he threw the sword in his good arm, pulled it back, and threw it straight into the other panther's heart. It fell to the ground, it's eyes still wide open as its life ended.

Big laughed even harder as he looked upon his unarmed opponent. "Fool!" He shouted victoriously upon Zoran, who was clutching his left shoulder. "You have no blades, now! You can't defend yourself! It is a pity your wife must see you die before she fulfills my wishes. It will make it much harder for her to comply."

Zoran shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unmoved. "Everyone's death must come someday."

"Get rid of that mask of yours, it cannot do any more for you. Show your wife your true feeling, your fear!" Big demanded.

"Zoran!" Cream cried out to him.

"Dad!" Another voice shouted. Big turned to see Zoran's daughter, Cinnamon stare at her naked mother, her wounded father, and the menacing cat towering above them.

"Cinnamon… you were supposed to stay down there!" Zoran told her. He couldn't hold the mask with his daughter out there too. This was too much for him to bear.

"You need my help, so I'm helping!" Cinnamon responded with a fire in her voice as she glared upon Big with hatred.

"Ha! So I can toy with mother and daughter once father is dead!" Big cried out joyously. "Thank you, foolish one for trying in vain to save your father.

"Shut up, you fat cat!" The rabbit cried. She pulled a blaster from her belt, firing at Big.

Big just raised his laser blade. The shot from the blaster was deflected, and went right back at Cinnamon. It went into her leg, and the rabbit cried in agony as her leg seemingly felt like it was on fire.

"Too easy!" Big cried, his blade now at Zoran's neck. "It is a pity you must lose so much in…"

"Get away from my dad!" A new voice yelled.

"Not you too, Marius…" Cream moaned sadly.

Zoran's son, Marius was now out of the sewer ladder. The smell of sewage was for some reason absent off Marius, which amused Big, but did not distract. "Well… you're a boy… but I do so adore killing children."

Marius pulled a slingshot, and fired a rock at Big. Again, Big just raised his sword, and the rock broke in half. Marius's smile quickly flipped, and he began to back away a bit as Big advanced.

Big then pulled out his own blaster, but before he could fire, Zoran charged at him, tackling him and sending him sprawling towards the edge of the canal, the laser blade flying out of his hand.

The two grabbed onto the edge just in time, the roaring water just beneath them. "Fool… now I'm afraid the water's going to take you!" Big barked at Zoran.

As Big attempted to kick Zoran, the nimble fox let go with one arm, baring a claw, and grabbed Big's leg before it reached him. When Zoran caught his leg, there was a look of regret on his face as he spun Big around, letting his body fall down toward the deadly water. He listened to him cry in terror as he slowly made his way toward the rapid current. There was a huge splash. Zoran looked away. He didn't want to see any more.

He felt Cinnamon grab onto his hand, pulling him up desperately. "Don't let go, Dad."

"I haven't failed you yet, have I?" He replied smartly. Cinnamon smiled at him as she lifted hum over the edge, and then embraced him.

Marius handed him his twin swords, and then he placed them back in his sheaths. His good arm then grabbed Big's laser blade, and he cut through the chains that were on Cream, still attached to the now dead panthers.

When Cream was freed, she embraced her husband, sobbing and not containing anything at all. For the first time in a long time, Zoran had a single tear drop from his eye as well. Never before had he been in a situation where so much of what he loved was in jeopardy.

"Mom… Dad… Balthazar's forces across the bridge, they're coming towards us!"

Zoran turned around, as he noticed an armada about to run across the bridge, starting to bring out weapons. "We can't all go down the sewer now… there's not enough time. Cream, Marius, you go down the sewer."

"Zoran…"

"There's no time! Go, Cinnamon and I are going to lead them away."

Cream looked in mixed shock and admiration as Cinnamon proudly looked up at her father, gladly accepting the role she was placed in. She gave her a husband a quick kiss, before grabbing Marius's hand and dragging him toward the sewer. Before she finished climbing down, she looked up at him with one last look of worry. "Don't you die today, Zoran Prower… or I'm going to kill you once you get to heaven."

"That's very reassuring, my love." Zoran told her sarcastically, with a smile on his face.

"I love you!" She shouted at him as she dropped the grate over her head.

Cinnamon had already picked up her blaster, firing at what she could as she and Zoran began to run backwards, leading them on. "Thanks Dad." She said to him.

"I didn't have a choice." Zoran told her with a small smile. "You would have come and helped me out anyway, like a good daughter."

"I know." Cinnamon responded as the two began to run now, their captors racing after them, firing their lasers.

The two ran hastily from their pursuers in a straight line, relieved that none had bothered to go down into the sewers, but worried that a group would come and trap them from the front. After all, they had nowhere to hide…

A/N: This is a pretty long battle scene… I'm getting a bit better with writing battles now, as you see.


	20. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Musings…**

**A/N: A shorter chapter to counter the previous long one. (Good for me, my fingers are tired of typing. You might be disappointed by the length change though, so I will apologize.)**

Amy Rose sighed as she watched the camera feed display Balthazar's forces destroying their old encampment. She, Cosmo, and Espio had successfully led everyone out of the fortress and into the caverns of their oldest hideout, but it was disheartening to watch their fortress be destroyed. They had spent a lot of time building it, and now they were in a small cavern, where a group a tenth of the current size had hid to keep away from Balthazar.

It was uncomfortably close to Balthazar's home base, but Amy knew that for as long as they weren't followed going back to the cavern, Balthazar would never think to look here. The cavern itself, murky, wet, and lit only by the few torches they brought was quite crowded, and she felt guilty, listening to the rebel refuges mutter and grumble.

_"At least Cosmo found some sleep tonight… if it's even night right now."_ Amy thought to herself. She then thought of Cream. She had sent two scouts to search for her, but only one had returned, with no news. The other, that scout had reported, was dead, killed by a blaster. It was too dangerous to save her friend. Amy hated herself for losing her like that. She looked away from the camera for a while, not being able to stand the destruction. Then she relaxed, taking a deep breath, and releasing it.

Her son was sleeping soundly in another room. Amy had only just told him yesterday that his father was out saving the world. He hadn't believed her at all. In fact, he yelled at her, accused her of lying, and just told her to admit that he was dead, or they had divorced. The war, this wait for his father to return, was hurting him.

It was hurting Amy too, and unlike her son, she couldn't sleep. She could only watch from a camera still in the rebel's base, the rebel fortress be set ablaze by Balthazar's forces.

She walked outside for a while, walking out of her cave "room", and into the walls of the cavern. She looked into the pool of water separating Cosmo and herself from the other refugees, looking sadly at her reflection. A safety measure, Espio told her. Amy hated being treated like a valuable prisoner. It wasn't fair to the others, she thought, but she knew it would make Espio and the other soldiers happy if they felt she was safe.

She stood there for some time, thinking about Sonic as she looked upon her reflection. She imagined him standing there, holding her hand. A smiled appeared on her reflection, but then as the thought went away, the smile turned upside down.

Amy Rose sighed, and then walked towards her sleeping son's room. He breathed quietly, almost contently, in his knapsack. Next to his knapsack, she saw a picture of him, herself, and Sonic. Amy felt a tear drop in her eye as she looked at the picture, and then back at her son.

They had named him Sonic Jr. She and Sonic both believed that one day, he would revel in his greatness.

Yet not in a world plagued with such an evil like Balthazar, she knew.

"If only dumb old Eggman was around…" She said aloud to herself, as she began walking away from her son's room and into her own.

As Amy sat down and looked at the camera feed, she was shocked to see the rebel fortress still standing. She was even more shocked to see that there was none of Balthazar's men in the area. Was their primary concern just the rebels then? Why would they leave a structure like that still standing?

"Amy!" A voice came from behind her. She turned around, noticing Espio the chameleon, tired from all the swimming. "Something amazing has just happened!"

"Come on, tell me, Espio. What's going on?"

"Balthazar's forces… they're leaving our fortress."

"I saw… do you know why?" Amy asked him quizzically.

"There's… There's another group of warriors!" Espio exclaimed. "They're marching upon the citadel this very instant! Mrs. Rose, if there's any time for action, it's now! Send in everything before those forces get there, get rid of Balthazar, and then her "sheep" will scatter."

She almost gave the order, but then the thought of Knuckles and all those dead men plagued her mind, and the words could not leave her mouth. "Espio," She said finally. "I… I can't be responsible for any mass deaths again."

"Mrs. Amy Rose!" Espio begged her. "If you don't send in the forces we need, this war is lost! Surely I'll not stand to live in a cave like this forever, trying to win little by little. We've done a little, perhaps enough for Balthazar to resend some troops back already. But this big force of allies we have…"

"How do we know they are allies…?"

"A red echidna was seen leading them, the entire army was made up of foxes" Espio added. "The scout dared not approach them and ask… but, Amy, it must be him! He must have found some allies!"

"Knuckles… is alive?" Amy asked, excited. "Well, Espio, take command of whatever you need. All the forces you desire are at your disposal!"

"Thank you my lady!" Espio bowed. "And if we see Cream… we'll save her for you, Amy. Her and any other prisoners that witch has captured and tortured."

He left with another bow, and then a surge of hope filled Amy's heart. Things were turning around at last!

"But what if we lose…" she whispered to herself. A horrific thought came to her, of now Espio's dead body. No…. no more dead… no more dead…

But it was useless chanting. More would die.


	21. Interlude IV

Interlude IV

Turning Point

"Just this morning everything was perfect!" Balthazar roared at her prison guard. "Then you go and screw everything up! You let that hedgehog free. Now my own commanders are failing me, letting a rebel force sneak into my citadel, and another army marching upon it now! Grr!"

"Shall I dispose of him, my lady?" Salazar offered politely.

"No, I will enjoy this pleasure today, love." Balthazar told Salazar. "Watch the home defenses. Make sure they get the imbeciles hiding here, and make sure that force gets crushed. Report back to me once the rebel scum have been cleared of my citadel."

"As you request, my empress." Salazar bowed. Balthazar gave him a passionate kiss before he left, and then whispering in his ear.

"If you see any Prower or any injured rebel" She softly spoke to him. "Kill them. Take no prisoners."

"As you command, empress." Salazar obediently responded. He bowed one last time, before turning around and walking out of the marble hall.

She then turned to glare at the prison guard from her red throne as the guard shivered with fear. "You are dismissed."

The guard, hardly believing his luck, turned around to leave the hall. As soon as his back was turned, Balthazar pulled out a blaster, and fired. The tricked guard fell down to the ground in a clump.

"Fool…" She coldly spoke to his corpse. "I don't let utter failures live in this citadel."

"Guards! Slay all the prisoners that we have left! Let us enact this no prisoner policy immediately!"

"Yes, empress!" The guards responded, moving out of the room to deal with the prisoners.

Balthazar sat back in her chair and relaxed. As soon as those rebels were out of her hair… she could truly relax. The world would be hers. She wouldn't have to car about anything…

A smile began to form on her face as she thought of all her enemies, hanging from her tower, showing the sign of the power of her reign. "Soon…" She whispered to herself.

"Soon..."

"Tsunami… are you sure you know where you are going? I think we are really off track…" Violet worriedly looked upon the water as the four-tailed sea fox/wolf beneath her continued to motor his way through the water.

"I told you I have terrible luck!" Tsunami reminded her. "Besides, I'm used to swimming underneath water rather than on it. It's been a while since I've swam this way."

Violet glanced upon the foggy sky. It had been like this, and Tsunami had been really uneasy about swimming in the fog. "You never know what dangers hide within the mist." Tsunami had warned her. She had tried to ease his fears, and eventually he agreed to swim. Yet was it a bad idea after all?

"Oh, I hope we're not too far away from shore." Violet groaned.

"I think we're still pretty close to the coast." Tsunami reassured her. "Of course… knowing my luck…"

Suddenly the two toppled into a protruding rock, and Violet practically landed hard on the side. She moaned as she got up from her fall, the salty water filling her mouth. A drop of blood began to drop from her leg. Tsunami was already up, bumbling apologies to her.

"Well… at least we definitely know we're near the coast." Violet bitterly spoke. She then sighed, and tried to look happier, for Tsunami's sake. "Come on, let's go this way, back to land."

She clambered through the water as her companion practically walked through the wet sea as if he was walking on landmass. Astonished, Violet tried to keep up by running alongside him, but even then she couldn't stay with him.

They finally touched waterless sand as the fog finally cleared up. Sand surrounded them from the east to west, but to the north lied several trees, albeit somewhat rocky. "Well, it looks like you have company." Tsunami informed her as he pointed her out to a group of soldiers walking through the trees. "I'd avoid them if I were you."

At first Violet feared that see was looking upon Balthazar's men, but then to her surprise, she saw rebel insignias on their armor. "It's… It's them…" Violet gasped, nearly overcome with emotion. "Oh Tsunami, it's the rebels at last! I'll finally get to see my mother!" To Tsunami's surprise, she squeezed the fox with an almost delirious grin on her face. "Oh, come on Tsunami, let's go."

Tsunami shook his head sadly. "Nah, go on without me, Violet. I know my brother's forces are searching for me still. I must hide in the sea, where they cannot find me."

"But what about friends? We can protect you!"

Tsunami gave Violet a solemn glance. "Perhaps, but I do not possess the love or emotion that you have for your parents. I am alone."

"Only for now, Tsunami." Violet responded. "One day, I'm going to see you again. You practically saved me! How can I not call you friend?"

Tsunami gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Violet." He turned around to the sea. "Well, back to safety." Violet watched the fox dive right back into the water. Violet knew he would not resurface for several hours. Still, she looked on a bit, until she looked back, noticing that the rebels were almost out of sight.

She began to sprint happily, her feet pounding on the rocky sand and grass, calling out to them. "Hey! Hey! Over here!"

It took about thirty seconds of running and calling before one of them looked back. Then the soldiers began to run toward her. "Violet!" The soldier shouted. They recognized her!

It was Espio, the chameleon, one of the chaotix her father had told her about. Violet and the rebels continued running toward her, but in her haste, Violet tripped over a tree root, falling to the rocky ground. "Groan…"

The soldiers were now at her side. "Well, if I'm not drunk!" One of the soldiers cried out. "You're Tails daughter! No one else has those eyes or those violets on their head."

"Heh, but you best be more careful during your sprints." Espio warned her. We're close to Balthazar's capitol, and there are a few land mines around. I feared you tripped over one for a second. He scrutinized her for a moment."What are you doing separated from your father? He's marching on the citadel with a whole army right now."

"So they made it?" Violet asked, excited. "Yes!" She practically jumped up in joy as the other rebels looked at her, confused. "Oh, we were separated during a maelstrom. I fell overboard, and was fighting the waves, but I think I was unconscious when a sea-fox/wolf saved me and brought me here."

"Hmm. Sea-foxes are pretty rare." A rebel commented. "One that is half-wolf must be legendary."

"That's because they're cowards." Another spoke up. "Stay at the sea their entire lives. Make us fishermen angry."

Espio put up his hand to silence them as he examined her leg. "Well, we'll have a medic attend the wound. "Humph… well, I'd hate to bring you back now. We are on the way to the citadel, that's where everyone's heading, even Amy and your mother. They're determined to make this our final stand. With Tails and those foxes fighting too, we just might be able to pull through."

"Yes!" Violet cried happily. "Everything's going to be alright!"

"Granted we don't run into land mines before we even get there." Espio muttered to himself. "Tails would hate it if you appeared to him in two pieces."

**A/N: There are four more chapters and one epilogue remaining. Not everyone shall make it to the end…**


	22. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

**The Fires Roar**

Shadow, Sonic, Marius, Cream, and Rouge all were sitting around a small fire in the sewers. The damp smell of the rotten garbage wafted into their ears, yet only Sonic still covered his nose from the smell. Marius and his mother, despite their circumstances, were having a rather warm conversation about home, while Rouge looked on. Sonic and Shadow stood guard over the ladder up to the surface. The group had run a great distance to their original location, and none of them had dared yet look up of it.

"We should chance it." Shadow stated. "The sewer is very large, we can easily get lost again if we're caught looking up."

"And if it opens into one of Balthazar's barracks?" Sonic countered. "Look, it was fortunate that Zoran went up the ladder when he did, but granted he nearly jeopardized our safety. We could be back in those cells if we fail, or dead."

"I'm going up anyway. Don't try to stop me, or you'll regret it." Shadow stubbornly warned him.

"Shadow!" Sonic called out to him, but Shadow was making his way up the ladder, not looking back. "Shadow!"

Shadow lifted the grate up, then peered up outside. Sonic tapped his foot anxiously on the ground, waiting for his response. "Is it safe?" Sonic asked him, uncertainly. "Shadow?"

"Oh, it's not safe at all." He replied, a grin on his face. "Tell the others there's fighting above between our armies." To Sonic's horror, the black hedgehog had climbed out of the hole, and then closed it behind him.

Sonic then ran to the others impatiently, excitement filling his heart. Then again, he was always running as if impatient. When he came back to their campfire, he saw they were all sleeping against the back wall. Excitement prodded him to wake them all anyway. "Oh, get up guys! You've got to come with me!"

"Wha… Sonic? What's going on?" Rouge asked, sitting up. Cream nudged her sleepy son, and whispered something in his ear, and then the two turned their attention to him.

"Shadow… he looked up the grate…"

"Oh, we don't have to move again, do we?" Marius asked, exhausted.

"No… our army is here. Here in Balthazar's citadel. They're fighting!"

"What?" Cream asked, bewildered. "But before I was kidnapped, we had just sent soldiers to their death against Balthazar. What's Amy up to?"

"Something great, I tell you!" Sonic replied, confident and pleased at his wife's progress. "Come on, let's go help them!"

The four eagerly went up the ladder, desiring to reconcile with their fellow rebels. Sonic opened the grate up first, and the sight shocked him. There were two forces fighting, but Balthazar's forces were fighting a group of people unknown to him. They were all foxes, equipped with who knew what. Their lasers were grilling into their enemy's armor, mowing them down like a logger cuts down trees. To his surprise he saw that one had a crown over her head, one had two tails, and another wasn't a fox at all.

"Tails... Knuckles…"

"Are you going to get out, or was this a false alarm?" Rouge asked impatiently.

"Rouge, Knuckles is out there, and so is Tails!"

"Knuckie?" Rouge asked, her voice becoming soft.

"Tails?" Marius asked excitedly. "Uncle's come back mother! He's going to save us all."

Sonic pulled himself up, and then just barely avoided cross-fire. The battle was fierce, and he could hear the fearsome cry of the fox force as they began to advance further into enemy ranks.

"Sonic, is that you?" The blue hedgehog heard Knuckle's voice call after him. The echidna ran up to him, giving him a pat on the back head. "How was prison?"

"That's a great first question to ask." Sonic sarcastically replied, nonetheless pleased to see his best friend. Blaster shots were still ringing amidst the battlefield.

"Well, let me bring you to Tails! He'll be exuberant when he…" Knuckles stopped short as he noticed the second person to climb out of the hole.

"Blessed be, what world is this?" He mumbled to himself disbelievingly. Sonic watched his friend slowly make his way to Rouge. Even up close, he still balked, completely disbelieving.

"What are you staring at?" The bat replied, but then a smile formed on her face. Knuckles then picked her up by her feet, embracing her passionately, and then planting a kiss on her lips.

"Goss, you're back!" Knuckles cried. "Oh, this is the greatest moment of my life!"

He then looked to see Cream and her son climb out next. "Well, what are you doing here Cream?"

Cream sighed, but before she could explain anything, two single-tailed foxes approached Knuckles. "Echidna, Queen Selina needs to speak to you, it's urgent."

Knuckles nodded, and then signaled to his friends. "Come on guys! Tails will be excited to see you all!" He practically picked up Rouge in his arms as he raced after the foxes. Sonic shrugged his shoulders, before he and the others followed. _"Where did Shadow go?"_ He asked himself.

Sonic watched a squad kitsunes wearing a thick, white leather vest on their bodies, with a hard hat that had an orange visor. Two were equipped with what looked like crossbows, but to his amazements, the bolts were filled with electrical energy. He watched one fire one into the heart of a victim, falling down limply, shaking on the ground, and then not at all.

"Sonic!" He heard someone call his voice. It was Tails running to catch up with him from behind. Sonic embraced his dear friend, ruffling the hair on his head.

"It's great to see you buddy!" Sonic cried. "You and your daughter made It back alright it seems."

The smile from Tails' face disappeared at the mention of his daughter. Knuckles stopped short of shaking his hand, seeing the ghastly look on his face. "What's wrong Uncle?" Marius asked him.

"Violet… she didn't make it, Sonic." Tails informed him solemnly.

They were quiet for a moment, then suddenly interrupted by their escorting Kitsune. "Please, we mustn't keep the queen waiting!" The fox urged him. Tails followed in step behind the fox, and not wanting to make matters harder for his dear friend, Sonic kept quiet, following the foxes into what looked like a white pavilion.

When they entered, they saw the grand Queen Selina, waiting patiently in-between two guards. The queen looked down upon Mile's friends with interest, her eyes scanning over each one of them. "So… these are your friends, Miles?"

The fox nodded his head cheerfully. "This is Sonic and other devoted friends of mine. Sonic bowed respectfully, but was shocked as the queen herself bowed to him. She smiled, waiting for the fox to continue.

"Friends of Miles, my name is Selina Prower, I am Tails' cousin. My cousin has an important task he would like you to endeavor in." The queen informed them, gesturing for Tails to explain.

Tails cleared his throat. "We need to get into my lab. There's a secret weapon in there I've kept hidden… I made the security so tight that they would not be able to open it without me. We have to go now, while Balthazar's still distracted by our advancing troops."

"Of course we'll help!" Sonic told his friend.

"I wouldn't mind a fight on the way!" Knuckles roared.

"You'll need someone stealthy, I bet." Rouge piped in.

"Marius and I will stay here, and help the medics." Cream told them. Queen Selina bowed her head. She then smiled at the rabbit.

"You are my brother's wife?" The Queen asked her. Cream nodded proudly.

"He made a wonderful choice." The queen complimented her.

"Oh, thank you." Cream politely said. The queen then beamed at her nephew, who beamed in return.

"Ready?" Miles asked his friends as they began walk out of the pavilion.

"You bet!" Sonic cried.

"Careful!" Cream and Queen Selina called after them… but they were already out of earshot.

The four began to make their way behind the Kitsune soldiers, who were advancing furiously upon Balthazar's defense. Although outnumbered, to Sonic's surprise, their technology, although different, was just as advanced now as Balthazar's

As the group made their way between buildings and the sidewalks, it was with great stealth and speed. Tails gulped as he noticed a tank roaring through the road, attempting to ambush the force from the side. He reached for his com-link, and activated it.

"Aye, what is it, Miles."

"Selina… they're brining in heavily armored vehicles." He warned her. You don't have anything to combat that, do you?"

"Unfortunately… no. If the rebel forces come to our position quick enough, we may be able to avoid retreating a few steps. If not, its going to be up to your haste to get to this weapon you mentioned."

"Right." Tails told her. He then turned the com-link off, and strapped it back to his side.

"How much farther?" Knuckles asked, looking ahead.

"Right over there." Tails told him. The four glanced upon the lab. There were two guards on the outside, guns raised, and two on the roof.

"Let me take care of this one." Rouge told the others. She quietly began to fly up, up, and up, high enough to be out of sight.

Knuckles smiled as he watched her make her way to the roof. "She'll have all four unconscious in fifteen seconds."

"Twenty." Sonic challenged.

Rouge gently landed on the roof behind the two roof guards. She grabbed both from behind, slamming their heads together, and then took their weapons. With no hesitation, she jumped down from the roof, doing a somersault, landing in front of the other two guards. Shocked, the guards tried to position their guns, but Rouge simply swung her rifle like a sword, knocking one, and then the other, out cold.

"Hah! Fifteen seconds exactly!" Knuckles said, rushing toward her, excitedly.

Sonic shrugged his shoulders at Tails. "Well… she's better than I remembered."

Tails smiled as the group met up in front of his door. "I bet she already figured out how to get in." Tails said, as he looked at his security console.

"Do you think she changed any of your settings?" Sonic asked.

"A team of scientists couldn't do that much with my computers." Tails confidently told Sonic. His fingers tapped on the keyboard hanging on the door with haste, and the door opened up. "See?"

A loud blast went off in the room, the first hitting Rouge square in the chest, the second which missed Tails by centimeters. By the third, the group had dove to the ground for cover.

"Get up, scum!" A deep, hoarse voice sounded. "I'd hate to kill you in such a helpless position."

Sonic began to move his legs in place, charging up speed, before zooming through the complex. As expected, gunshots were heard throughout the room, but all were too slow for the hedgehog. He spun right into the gunman, knocking him back. Tails was about to go to Sonic, but he saw Knuckles leaning on Rouge, who was holding her hand to her chest limply. Knuckles looked at him. "Go, help Sonic!" Knuckles roared.

Tails obliged, hastening after his blue friend.

When he stood beside him, he was surprised to see their foe standing, more shocked to see the figure. He was… a cyborg. He looked like a lion, but he had several robotic parts. In his hand was a huge automatic laser, and there was a wild look in his non-robotic eye. The other glowed green as it examined them.

"So! I, Salazar, at last meet the great Tails! I have hoped that this moment would come!" The creature circled around Tails as he stood next to Tails' glass spheres. His primary computer was just behind him. "Before I… unfortunately get rid of you… I offer you the chance of freedom, in exchange for your services."

"Salazar, I would never work for Balthazar." Tails yelled at him. "If it weren't for her… if she hadn't…"

Tails felt his lightning scar begin to glow. If only he could draw him outside… then it would be a simpler matter defeating this great general.

"You!" They heard a voice roar behind him. Knuckles the Echidna roared from behind him. "She's dying, because of you!" Knuckles yelled at him. The foolish echidna charged, and if it weren't for Sonic pushing him aside, he surely would have died as well.

The insane Salazar kept firing all over Tails lab, causing destruction left and right as the three hid behind a steel pipe. "Well… this is not a pleasant fight." Sonic told him.

"We'll take it to him on three." Tails said.

"Right." Sonic told him, pulling back the feral Knuckles. "One…"

"Two…" Tails continued.

"Three" Knuckles roared, grabbing the steel bar, and throwing it with amazing strength at the wild Salazar…

(A few feet away…)

Shadow slowly approached Rouge's body. There were a few shallow breaths, but like Knuckles, he knew that she had but seconds to live. Taking her at sonic speed anywhere would kill her, and they had no time to take her anywhere gently. He slammed his hand into the ground. If only they knew where the chaos emeralds where!

He looked at her, a tear dropping from his eye. She opened his eyes, trying to say something to him, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath… and then breathed no more.

Shadow felt a tear slide down from his face. She had been his best friend… his most loyal companion…

He loved her, although he never showed it. Her heart was taken by the echidna's, and vice versa. He had thought he could avoid love after all this time… but as he saw her lifeless body, and his emotions rip out of him, he was frustrated as he saw that not even know could he express his terrible emotion.

He looked back. He heard fighting inside, knew that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were taking down that madman. It wasn't him, however, that Shadow blamed for her death.

It was Balthazar.

The hedgehog roared, and then sped away from the lab, leaving it to the three to handle themselves. "You will die!" Shadow roared, racing toward the battlefield.

He would have her head.

A/N: Long time without an update, sorry. Review, and see a quicker update!


	23. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

**The eyes of the Galaxy**

**A/N: Chapter 18. Chapter 19 out next Thursday, but if I get three reviews, I'll post it on Saturday or Sunday, and Chapter 20 will be Thursday.**

"Mrs. Amy! Mrs. Amy!" A messenger came in, pouring into the small tent that Amy had set up for command. "We've got great news!"

"Please, do tell." Amy said, barely containing her own excitement.

The messenger was practically jumping up and down. "Well… Espio's making his way now to the forces… and it seems they're giving Balthazar quite the battle." The messenger paused, and then continued talking quickly. "But that's not the best part! Espio's found Violet!"

Amy smiled, but then a question formed on her face. "Where's Tails?"

"Violet told Espio that Tails is part of that force that's fighting Balthazar… Amy, Tails brought friends to help defeat her!"

Amy cold not help but smile. "I can't wait to tell Cosmo!" Amy exclaimed, no longer able to contain her excitement.

The messenger was scratching the ground. "Er… is there something else?" Amy asked.

"Well… there's also some bad news…" The messenger confessed.

"How bad is it?" Amy inquired, her voice softening.

"Pretty bad." The messenger admitted. "I'd almost rather not tell you."

(Elsewhere)

Shadow had quickly joined the Kitsunes in battle, helping the outnumbered group pound into the lessening numbers of Balthazar's army before the reinforcements arrived. He had tried to search for Balthazar, but as soon as he had begun to search, he knew it would be too difficult and dangerous to race behind the armored tanks. It could have given away Sonics, Tails, and Knuckles location, and not even he was bold enough to challenge the technological power of her tanks.

He grunted, irritated at the way things were going. He had no time to play games.

But he was too angry to just quit. He followed anyway, using his speed to knock down or kill anything in his way. He just had one opponent, and that was Balthazar. Balthazar. Balthazar…

"Shadow!" A voice cried, suddenly grabbing him and pulling him against the wall. Shadow quickly turned around and tried to strike the one who grabbed him as he was pulled into an alley, but quickly realized he had nearly hit Zoran Prower in the face. "What the…"

"Are you insane?" Zoran asked sarcastically. "Finally, someone is willing to get into the heart of things!" He gave him a cocky grin.

Shadow looked at Cinnamon and Zoran angrily, then shrugged off the dark grey fox. "Let go of me. Balthazar must die."

Zoran quickly held him back. "You can't do that. Look at the tank. It will pulverize you, gun you, or you'll get shot by something else."

"I don't care."

"I'm not letting you do something that stupid."

"I don't care." Shadow reaffirmed. Zoran scrutinized him, then sighed.

"Fine." Zoran told him. "But we're going with you." Cinnamon cheered, but quickly calmed herself as the fox glanced at her. "But you Cinnamon, are to stop the tank. Remember the plan."

"Why can't I get the fun?" Cinnamon groaned.

Zoran smiled. "If you fail, me and Shadow are dead."

Cinnamon pondered this for a moment, and then nodded. "Good point."

"There's no more time." Shadow growled, running towards the tank. "The Reaper strikes now."

Zoran followed the hasty hedgehog as Cinnamon shouted out with glee, loving the action.

(Tails lab)

"What the?" Salazar cried, as Knuckle's steel bar whammed into his arm, knocking down his automatic laser. He then laughed at their pathetic efforts. "Have you forgotten? I'm half cyber! I can't feel pain anymore!"

"Well, then take this!" Knuckles said, charging him with a fist as he jumped over Salazar.

"Oomph." Salazar cried, as he was pushed into the ground. Sonic held back Tails as he tried to charge. "Forget him, Tails. Knuckles and I got this. Just get your secret weapon."

Tails hesitated, and then nodded, dodging a thrown Echidna, who managed to land upright, quickly charging back at the terribly powerful cyborg, who tried to strike at the quick blue hedgehog.

Tails quickly reached his security console for the hangar that contained his secret weapon. "Now what was the pass code?"

He typed in a few letters and numbers, only to have the machine flash red. "That's not it…" He told himself. "What were the last four letters?"

"Hurry up, Tails!" Sonic cried soaring through the air from a throw of the lion's strong cyborg arm.

Tails then thought of his daughter, sinking into the sea. "That's it!" Tails told himself. "It's…"

He replaced the last four letters with the word star. "Got it."

The hanger opened, and Tails silently cheered. "If she thinks she's got super tanks, she hasn't seen this yet!"

(Elsewhere…)

"Is everything all right, Espio?" One of the rebels asked.

Espio turned to Violet. "We're right outside the citadel. We've been trying to stay away from Balthazar's outside patrol, and not lead them to our hideout but I think they've led us here on purpose."

Violet looked afraid. "So, what do we do now?"

Espio looked at her sadly, as his rebels armed themselves, looking around for an ambush. "We'll resist of course. I'm not letting anyone…"

Suddenly, several soldiers came out through bushes, trees, or rocks, charging at them as Espio raced to protect Violet.

As Espio lost five men already and the ambushers only one, their leader quickly halted his own men as Espio gave his the same single. "What are you doing?" Violet whispered fearfully. "Did you just surrender?"

"No." Espio told her. "I think he wants to talk."

The leader, a dark furred vulture with a twisted beak laughed as he looked at Espio's pitiful army, quickly telling the rest of his men to surround them. "If anyone asks, Marshall Leone is the name of your killer." The vulture cruelly joked.

"I'll kill you first, vulture." Espio spat. "Then if your men are lucky, they'll get me."

"Who cares about you, chameleon." The vulture distastefully looked at the chameleon, then glanced at Violet. "Balthazar no longer desires prisoners. Killing Tails' daughter would be a great reward. Imagine, Tails seeing his own daughter's dead body held in the air by Balthazar's hands."

Violet's necks felt a chill as the image came in her hand, and she instantly took a step back, only to be taken by one of the guards. Startled, she screamed, but before Espio could react, a laser tore through his arm, and he was whacked to the ground by another's gun. He clawed to the earth, and the vulture looked down at him with a sneer.

"Look at him, crawling on the ground like that." The vulture spat, as Espio's hand tried desperately to support him. He then turned his hand to Violet. "Now, how should I kill her?"

Violet shivered as the vulture brought out his two hands, placing one against her throat as he gently brought a knife towards. "Might as well make it look torturous, eh Sanchos?"

Violet couldn't take it anymore. "No. No. NOOOO!!!" She screamed her eyes bulging as the Vulture laughed.

Suddenly, the Vulture stopped laughing as he and his comrades looked at the sky, seeing nothing but stars and planets… but unusually close. "What is this?" One of the men asked.

Everything nearby was dark, too dark to even see the person next to them.. "Where's the girl?" The vulture asked. "What's going on!?

The stars seemed to edge closer and closer. The vulture began to shiver in fear as the star was the only thing they saw, it's light reaching toward them, hot, white light that could incinerate those unused to extreme levels of Fahrenheit. "Noo!" The vulture cried out, as the white light's heat began burning his skin. "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Espio stared at the screaming vulture and his comrades, shaking on the ground, screaming. Violet, having fallen to the ground, is unable to move, petrified. Espio gets up, quickly walking to her. "Violet… Violet?"

She seems unable to hear him. "Violet!"

She finally turns toward him, and he notices her eyes are as bright as the sun, and Espio quickly glances away. The vulture and his men stop shaking. Her eyes slowly lose their brightness, and the tired fox passes out in Espio's arms. Espio quickly signals to his men to tie up the Vulture.

The Vulture opened his eyes, to see Espio standing over him. "Am I dead?" He asked.

Espio shook his head. "But you're tied up."

The vulture looked around, seeing his men tied up, looked at him in shock. "How did this happen? Impossible!" He then glared at Violet. "She… She's a witch! A terrible, ugly witch! Get her away from me."

Espio kicked the vulture in his beak, twisting it back. "Shoot them." Espio ordered angrily.

He watched them die, screaming as the lasers hit them. "This is revenge!" Espio cried out. "Revenge for what they did to my friends… my comrades." Espio muttered the last part, thinking of Charmy and Vector, both dead now.

He looked at Violet, still unconscious, and sighed. "I don't know what happened…" Espio whispered to her. "But I think you saved our lives."

Unconscious, she could not respond.

(Tails Lab)

Salazar had Sonic and Knuckles cornered now, and he glared at them with his robotic eye, sensing victory. Sonic was panting, fatigued, weak from battle. Knuckles could barely stand, and he grunted as he spoke to Sonic. "He's more powerful than Balthazar." He told him. "Tails better hurry up."

"Any last words, before I blow you to bits with that laser you nearly destroyed?" Salazar asked coldly.

"I have a lot of last words." Sonic piped up, with his classic grin on his face. "Did your mother dress you this morning?"

"What?"

"I mean, what kind of uniform is that? You look like a…"

"DIE!" The lion roared, but before he could fire, a terribly painful look crossed his face. Sonic and Knuckles looked.

"And press!" Tails cried. The lion suddenly was being electrocuted, his robotic parts being completely destroyed.

"Aarrgh!" The lion screamed, before collapsing to the ground, no longer able to serve Balthazar.

Tails smiled at them, and Sonic gave his best friend a thumbs up. "Great timing Tails!" He then gasped and looked behind Tails. "What's that?"

Tails smiled, and said. "It's my Jetank. Equipped with flame capabilities, an automatic turret, powerful armor, and of course, the ability to fly as fast as a jet. Unfortunately, I never finished the flight part."

They glanced at the beast of a machine, which looked like a tank with wings… wings that Tails had stated would not work. The wings were bent about a 45 degree angle, and the back of the tank did have a tail fin. The front of the tank looked very much like the front of a jet, rather than a normal tank.

Sonic grinned at his pal, then turned to Knuckles. "Ready?"

Knuckles gave Salazar's body a good kick before looking up at Sonic. He answered by pounding his knuckles together. Sonic nodded, and the three entered Tails' weapon. "We're not holding back on you, Balthazar." Sonic thought to himself.

The battle would be a good one.

**Next chapter: The fight against the Lion Queen**

**Was the pace of the chapter too fast? Comments? Suggestions? Then please review, and I'll try to respond.**

**(Violet's mind abilities are explained in A Tale of Tails and Plants I and II.)**


	24. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

Shadow and Zoran both ran toward the front of the tank, and Shadow smirked as he saw Balthazar's guards turn wildly at him with shock. "Fools." The hedgehog grunted, as he slammed his fist into the first guard's helmet, shattering his visor. The guard let out a shout before falling to the ground.

Zoran, next to him, drew his twin blades, slicing one to his right, and deflecting bullets with his other one with such force and speed that the bullets and lasers reflected back to their owners.

"Now we just need to stall them long enough for Cinnamon too…" Zoran trailed off as he saw Shadow charge ahead, diving straight to the empress. "What are you doing? Stick to the plan!"

Shadow ignored him, plunging ahead, as shots slammed into the earth. Balthazar's fearful look widened as she saw the crazed look in Shadow's face. The hedgehog dove right on top of the tank, and then began to spin towards Balthazar ferociously.

But it was not flesh that Shadow spun into, but solid wall, crying out in pain as he slammed against a suddenly raised electronic wall, shocking the hedgehog, until he dropped to the ground, barely able to move.

"Dang it." Zoran growled. "The foolish hedgehog. I can't get through either… Cinnamon's got to pull it off."

Balthazar looked confidently ahead, as she felt safe, until suddenly, the vehicle stopped moving. She looked around confused, and afraid of a trick. "Imbecile! Why have we stopped!"

"Something's… flattened the wheels, madam." Her driver informed her fearfully.

"What!" Balthazar turned to look down, as a fist from a girl slammed into her face. Cinnamon fiercely pulled back for a second, but was quickly grabbed by the guards.

"Dang it!" Zoran growled again. "Another hot-head going against the plan!" The fox ran up to the front of the vehicle, but stopped as a guard swerved to look at him, pointing his gun at Cinnamon.

"My, my, who do we have here?" Balthazar cooed, the fear leaving her voice as confidence entered. "A stray, coming to beg at my feet?"

"Let the rabbit go." Zoran said calmly, knowing she would not listen.

"What are you going to do about it, fool?" She asked.

Zoran sighed. There was nothing he could do about it. He looked down, and then glanced overhead. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at Balthazar. Plan B had just come to him.

"Even if you kill her, you would die in the process." Zoran warned her. "If he pulls the trigger, I'll move so fast to stab you that you won't even blink."

Zoran then tensed as he felt all but one of the guards point at him. "Would you like to test it out?"

Zoran grimaced. _"Bluffing certainly made things worse…"_

"Dad?" Cinnamon pleaded with him. "Stop talking and beat that ugly lion up!"

"Smack that annoying brat!" Balthazar commanded. "I do not tolerate…" She looked up as a plane zoomed in towards her, a missile heading straight to them. The guards scrambled, pushing Balthazar to safety. Zoran wasted no time, grabbing his daughter, and pushing her off the tank. The missile slammed into the driver's seat, knocking some guards flat on their feet.

"Shoot it!" Balthazar growled, and her guards began to fire. Zoran raised his blades, ready to intercept. He turned to his daughter.

"Stay here."

"I know." Cinnamon groaned, lamenting the action she was missing.

Balthazar turned around as one of her guards was stabbed through by Zoran's blade. "Get him, too!"

Another missile sent several guards flying, as a third slammed straight into another, giving him and those around him a grisly fate…

Zoran looked straight ahead. That wasn't from the plane, that was from this giant rolling monster…

"Tails." He whispered to himself. He was back, and he was going to save them all. He looked up at the jet, and saw Sonic giving him a thumbs up. It was very small, armed with only two missiles. Zoran looked at the tank… it must have flown off of it. Tails was clever indeed.

He looked up as Sonic jumped out of the jet, as the plane circled around to return to its vehicle. "Get the hedgehog!" Balthazar roared. More men blasted their rifles, but Sonic was too fast, far too fast even for a lasar.

"Aaaah!" Guards cried as Sonic slammed into them, as Tails fired yet another missile, as Knuckles exited now, throwing a rock at them all.

Balthazar grabbed a fallen soldiers rifle, but Zoran grabbed her hands from behind. "Kill him! Imbeciles, get him!" The empress screamed frantically. Zoran almost wanted to laugh at her desperation.

Sonic looked at her, anger. Anger for all of the deaths she had caused, at the enslavements, the executions, the fear installed into the people. "You…" Sonic began angrily, looking at Shadow, who was struggling to move closer to them. He then turned back to her.

"You're something allright." The hedgehog told himself. He began to wound up his fist, getting ready to slam it right into her chest…

"No, Sonic." A voice said. Sonic stopped to look at him, and Zoran turned his head, his hands still gripping Balthazar's arm tight.

"Tails?" Sonic asked, as the fox spun his twin tails, moving toward him at a moderate pace.

"We cannot execute her… not here, at least." The fox told him.

"You let her free last time, Tails. Look at what she did with her time to bide." Sonic warned him.

"I did not say I would let her free." The fox told him. Sonic looked at his old sidekick, studying him for a moment. It was not often the fox would challenge him, if ever. "Put her in prison, let her bide her time there, but should we execute here, we would be no better than the evil she wrought. But we can't let the people decide right now either… they would act irrationally."

Sonic looked at him. "That's exactly what we _should _do Tails…"

The fox shook his head. "It would not satisfy them. Balthazar has wrought much pain. We shall wrought only more problems with her death."

The hedgehog thought about the genius's words for a moment, and then gave his friend the thumbs up.

"What are you doing?" Shadow asked, just sitting himself up. His arm was burned from the shock, and his other one hardly any better. His whole body was beat up. "She deserves to die! She killed Rouge! Ask that knuckle head!"

Knuckles who had joined them, looked away for a moment. "Salazar killed her, Shadow, not Balthazar. In fact…" Knuckles glared at Balthazar. "She didn't kill anyone. She just pulled the strings."

"You mock me." Balthazar growled. "Kill me for all I care. This is humiliating enough. Look around you!" They heard cheers, as foxes and rebels danced in the streets, as Balthazar's soldiers fell and surrendered and turned. "I have failed. Kill me, will you?"

"No." Knuckles said. "As much as it would feel good, your fate is to rot somewhere where you can think on what you've done."

Tails motioned for two foxes to come to him. "Tie her up, and tell Selina to find a suitable prison for her."

"Sire?" One of the foxes asked, uncertain about this leniency toward the lion. "What about your daughter?"

Tails was quiet for a moment, and Zoran approached them, with his own daughter next to him, about to congratulate him, until he heard the question. "She… she would have thought this just." Tails assured them.

"Sorry to trouble you." The fox muttered, tying her up and dragging her along.

"No!" Balthazar growled. "I'm not done yet! I'll reconfigure my strategy! I will rule!"

"Typical evil stupidity, eh?" Sonic smiled. The others were too tired to share in Sonic's good attitude.

"You should have killed her." Shadow growled. Tails shook his head.

"Shadow, we took down Salazar, her death…"

"I don't care!" The hedgehog growled, moving dangerously close. "Pathetic fox, idiot hedgehog, brainless echidna! Get out of my way, all of you! I will kill her!"

The hedgehog dashed ahead of them, and then fell on the ground, exhausted. "Get him to a hospital." Tails instructed two other foxes. The others looked at him for a while, as he gasped for air, still in a rage.

"He'll be fine." Zoran stated.

"No, he won't." Tails disagreed.

They all turned as another fox came zipping towards them. "Mr. Sonic, Amy requests the presence of all of you immediately."

Sonic gave them all a large grin. "Victory party, everyone?"

Tails smiled, but then remembered Cosmo. How would he tell them of her dead daughter?

(Hebrides)

Amy and Cosmo were with Queen Selina in the foxes tent, grinning widely as the group entered. Amy wrapped her arms around Sonic, sobbing with worry. "You're fine Sonic! I knew you'd make it okay! Oh, I was so worried!"

"Geez, Amy!" Sonic groaned, but smiled anyway.

"Tails!" Cosmo cried, embracing her husband. "I was so worried about you. I've been apart from you for so long."

Tails smiled, but then frowned. "Are you hurt somewhere?" Cosmo asked.

Tails shook his head, grimacing. No, he couldn't hide this from her. "Cosmo…" Tails began. "I have to..."

"Dad?" A voice asked from the shadows. Tails turned to see a three-tailed fox, with flowers on her head, and unmistakably starry eyes. There was a bright smile on her face. "Dad!"

She ran towards him, but to everyone's surprise, Tails fainted, just caught by Cosmo. Selina laughed as everyone looked at him, confused. "Her being in one piece certainly knocked him out alright."

Everyone then began laughing as Violet and Cosmo worked to awaken Tails, who opened an eye, got up and picked up his daughter in joy a few minutes later. Everyone laughed, even Knuckles, although the death of Rouge was still fresh in his mind, as well as of all his soldiers…

But he had won this for them all, for their families. They would be as proud of him as he was of them…

"My queen!" A man burst him, interrupting the mirth. "The medics sent me to you with an urgent message."

"Well, what is it?" The fox asked, fearfully.

"It's Shadow the Hedgehog." The fox said sadly. "He has left, with his stuff."

**A/N: One more chapter, one epilogue. The next chapter pretty much explains what happens to Shadow, and wraps up the story. Epilogue takes place many months later).**


	25. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Fire was everywhere. The entire village was burning. A loud screaming starts, then abruptly stops. Someone wails, but it is only temporary. The loud bangs and zings filled the air, the crackling of flames gobbling up bodies, smoking suffocating victims.

From atop a hill Shadow shook his head at the sight of Balthazar's retreating men, leaderless, aimless. Shooting whoever they saw, wanting to enjoy whatever was left of their little glory.

Shadow intended to destroy them all.

He descended the hill, charging straight into a laughing soldier, who flew into a wall. His buddy quickly turned around, but Shadow only came back for him, sending him slamming into a tree.

The soldier looked at him with a pleading look, as Shadow picked up a laser and shot his companion with no hesitation, then slowly turning toward him.

"No, please, I didn't do any of this! I was just a bystander! I'm innocent! Aahh!"

He was cut short as the shot slammed into his head.

Shadow had to kill more. It wasn't enough. Rouge was dead; their deaths were nowhere near her value, nowhere near the value of all these innocent civilians, dying only because they were angry at their defeat.

He then turned as he heard a wail of a child, screaming. He turned around to look at the dead body, and then rushed to the noise.

A soldier kicked a young wolf to the side, as he looked upon another dead wolf, who Shadow noticed had been stabbed several times. The soldier spoke as Shadow approached, not even turning around. "What should I do with this child, do you reckon?" The soldier asked. "I've had my fun with him; I made him kill his own mother. How should I dispose of him?"

He then turned around and saw that Shadow was no friend. "Oh…"

Shadow's hand grabbed the soldier's neck, a dark bobcat, and raised him in the air, his fist hanging in the air. "You sick bastard!" The hedgehog growled. "You and all men who serve Balthazar shall pay debts you'll still be paying in the next life."

"No… don't…" The cat tried to say, as Shadow's grip on his neck only tightened.

A blaster shot occurred from behind Shadow, but the hedgehog was ready, turning around to throw the body at the ambusher.

It hit, and Shadow quickly charged at him, sending him hard into the wall, making his head crack open, blood spilling out slowly.

He then turned to the Bobcat, who began to cough. A sword on the ground nearby caught Shadow's eyes as he lifted it. Nearby, the child wolf was the only one unconscious, everyone else was dead.

Dead.

Shadow raised the sword slowly…

"No, you don't want to do this!" The bobcat begged him. "Please, have mercy on me! Please…"

"Have mercy!"

**(Hebrides)**

Shadow laid down the lonely wolf child onto the grass of the hill. The smoke from the village rose into the night air. Fire clung to the top of buildings, biting onto whatever it could feed. Human bodies lay everywhere. Not one civilian lived. But neither did any of the soldiers that had attacked it.

Shadow had killed them all.

But it still wasn't enough.

The hedgehog closed his eyes, resting against a tree, as he heard the wolf began to stir slowly. He opened them a bit, peering as the wolf looked at him with confusion. "Who are you?"

Shadow glanced at him for a moment, studying the wolf before he spoke. "I am Shadow the hedgehog, ultimate life form. And you?"

The wolf was silent. Shadow sighed. "What's your name, wolf?"

"I… I don't know." The wolf told him. He then looked at his hands, bloody. Shadow realized that it was his mother's blood on his hands. "Did I cut myself?"

_"He's lost his memory…"_ Shadow realized. "_He doesn't know he killed his own mother. He doesn't know about any of this."_

"Yes." The hedgehog said. He looked on, beyond the flaming village. Perhaps some more soldiers were causing trouble elsewhere. His killing was not done yet.

"I must go now." Shadow told the wolf, as he began to start off.

"Wait!" The wolf asked him. "I don't know where I am, let me go with you."

Shadow scrutinized the wolf. "No. It is too dangerous to follow me. Go home."

"How can I go home if I don't know where it is?" The wolf said to him.

Shadow hesitated for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine."

The hedgehog said no more, and neither did the wolf, as he picked himself up, following the hedgehog wherever he would go.

**(Hebrides)**

Tails and his friends stood near the coastline, as they saw Selina and the rest of the kitsunes off, sailing back to their kingdom.

"You're not sailing through the Hebrides again, are you?" Tails asked sincerely.

"Don't worry; we're taking the scenic route instead." His sister assured him. She then embraced her cousin. "You better come and visit." The kitsune said with a smile. "And you're welcome to bring your cute daughter with you when you do, I'm sure the Seer would love to look at her."

"We'll see." Tails told her. The queen smiled, and then motioned for her soldiers to board.

"Although next time… don't bring trouble with you." The queen winked at him as he laughed, then turned around and walked toward her ship.

Cosmo walked up to him on his left, reaching for his hand as the echidna Knuckles stood on his right, watching the group walk away. "Your cousin's a pretty good queen."

"Yes, she is." Tails said, turning to face his wife, who was gazing fondly at him.

"Well, Erm… I was wondering, if you ever do make that visit, you could erm… hook us up?"

That stopped Tails. The fox turned around, giving the echidna an amused look. "Good luck with that Echidna."

"Thanks, Tails… hey! What was the tone for!" The echidna snarled.

"Come on Tails!" Sonic called out to them, quite a length from the water. "I haven't seen Jr. yet!"

Tails turned back, and began walking toward them with Cosmo in hand and Knuckles following, noticing Zoran and Cream watching with a smile, Cinnamon standing in between them. The young grey rabbit sighed as Sonic ushered for them to hurry up. "Mother, do you have to take me to see him?"

"What's wrong Cinnamon, you always play with him."

"Well, if I see him right now, I promise you I'll give him a good fist in the face!"

"Cinnamon!"

"I mean it!"

"Hurry up!" Sonic zoomed away from them, a blur of blue going through the trees.

"Stupid hedgehog!" Knuckles snarled, running after him. "Wait for the rest of us!"

"I don't want to go!" Cinnamon cried, as Zoran and Cream dragged her along with them.

"Don't make me hit you, young woman."

"Just try it mom!"

"Zoran! Tell your daughter she needs to fix her attitude!"

"Actually, I kind of like it."

"Zoran!"

"Alright, alright. Cinnamon, listen to your mother…"

Cosmo and Tails laughed as they began to advanced head of the family. "I am glad we raised our daughter the way we did."

The fox shared in her smile. "What do you think is going to be in her future?" The fox asked his wife.

The seedrian sighed happily. "I think it will be the most beautiful future." She said, laughing at her own happiness, as she began to skip away from him, with Tails chasing after her, laughing.

So long apart, the fox thought, as he gained on his wife. And at last, she was finally catchable by just a reach of his hand.

A/N: That's the last chapter. There's an epilogue before I change the status to complete.


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

**5 years later…**

"Hey dad!" Violet danced around her father, her galactic-like eyes shining with excitement. "Can we look at the stars tonight!" She had just finished cleaning the dishes with her mother, when Tails walked in. He almost laughed at her eagerness. So much energy!

"Sure!" Tails affirmed, giving Cosmo a quick kiss on her lips.

"Is this the night the comet comes around?" Cosmo asked him. The fox nodded, and Cosmo had a shy smile on her face. "The same night we…"

"Come on dad!" Violet said, already with Tails' telescope in hand.

"Hey, be careful with that!" Tails warned her, but she was already out the door. She had a knack for damaging his inventions.

"Hey, dad, someone's at the door." Violet said.

Tails went toward the door, to see the grinning face of Sonic the hedgehog, and the irritated one of Zoran. Each was keeping a firm hand on their children, Sonic Jr. and Cinnamon, retrospectively.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tails asked them.

"Well, Cinnamon said something stupid, and both told us to get our own thing to eat." Sonic quickly said.

"Actually, you agreed that Cream's cooking was miserable." Zoran reminded him. "That's why we're here."

"No, we're here because that d—"

"Cinnamon!" Sonic warned her.

"Hey, it's not my fault your sons so stupid!"

"Well, who's the faster one?" Sonic Jr. grinned.

"Don't make me punch you!" Cinnamon lunged, but Zoran held her back, almost bored.

"Mind if we eat here. I promise we'll keep a tight lease on the dogs."

"Hey!" Sonic Jr. and Cinnamon said at the same time.

"Alright. I'm leaving anyway to look at the stars under the telescope with Violet." Tails said. He then looked around. "Hey, she already left! See you guys!"

"Mr. Sonic! Tell your son to stop looking at me like that!"

"Hey, you're just jealous you're not as handsome as I am."

"I'm not handsome, I'm beautiful."

Sonic Jr.'s chortle provoked the rabbit to lunge for his throat again, only to be caught once again, by Zoran. Tails shook his head as he closed the door behind him, chasing after his daughter.

Since when had his children gotten so wild?

(Hebrides)

Shadow the hedgehog stood outside the city, once controlled by Balthazar, now looking exactly the way it did before she came here. His face showed none of his thoughts however, as he glanced at the dark city, welcoming the darkness.

He glanced at his apprentice the wolf, who glanced at him uncertainly. "Master?" he said. "How long, do you think?"

The hedgehog turned to look at him. "As soon as she is ready."

"But you have already executed your plan to slay Balthazar." The wolf questioned him. "What if she takes too long to get ready?"

"Have trust in this." Shadow simply said. The wolf did not ask any further questions.

Shadow could see Balthazar now: free for a moment from prison, then dead. Dead… eradicated by his power! He nearly laughed.

_"Rouge… I will avenge you…"_

(Hebrides)

From afar, a three-tailed fox watched it all, one tail grey, one tail black, one tail white. Her silver eyes were closed, and then suddenly open as they looked upon a sailing comet through the sky. "And so… it begins…" The Seer said. "With a simple wish…"

(Hebrides)

Violet looked at the comet sail through the night sky through the telescope, then looked at her father with a wide smile. "A comet!" She cried. "You should make a wish!" Tails smiled at her eagerness.

"I already have everything I possibly want." Tails informed her. "Why don't you make a wish?"

"But what if it doesn't come true?" Violet inquired innocently. Tails laughed, and Violet gave him

"Your mother wished on another star fifteen years ago, and her wish came true."

"Really?" She asked, surprised. "What was her wish?"

"She wished for a beautiful, grand wedding." Tails told her. Violet giggled. She didn't want to wish for that, it was too simple. It had to be something grand, and she had the perfect idea!"

Violet closed her eyes, and then she moved her lips, whispering "I wish I would one day become the greatest heroine of the ages!" She giggled at her own silliness.

"What did you wish?" Tails asked her.

"It won't come true if I tell you!" Violet giggled.

(Hebrides)

The Seer relaxed in her chair. The path was set. She had uttered the words, but which way would her path curve? Dark or light, failure or success?

That was the next question.

**A/N: Thus, Balthazar's Storm series is over. You can see the allusions to A Tale of Tails and Plants Series: I must say that this story is indeed a prequel to it. I will even reveal that Balthazar reappears in the story, playing a significant role in one of the six of the series.**

**With this out of the way, expect updates for A Tale of Tails and Plants: Hellebore (update per 100 hits) and the Tails Epic. I know I've left Final Dawn rusting, and I have chapters ready sitting there, but I want to make sure the Tails Epic is off to a good start before I wrap off that series. No, it is not on hiatus. I finish every story I publish. Believe it.**


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